| Sumario: | Current U.S. trade policies—though primarily focused on major global players including China, the European Union, and North American partners Canada and Mexico—also have economic consequences for smaller countries and regions around the world. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), these impacts will be felt both directly, through newly imposed tariffs, and indirectly, as collateral damage in a potential trade war between the world’s largest economies.
As the United States rolls out a new wave of tariff increases, SSA countries must navigate a newly challenging trade environment. The region has long benefited from preferential access to U.S. markets—in particular, the 2000 African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has exempted 1,800 SSA products from import duties. Yet now, many African exports are subject to a flat 10% tariff, effectively eliminating one of the few trade advantages the region held for the U.S. market.
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