Source: Zim to suspend tariffs on US goods . . .Move to boost exports to Washington | The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporter
THE Government will suspend all tariffs levied on goods originating from the United States to facilitate the expansion of American imports within the Zimbabwean market while at the same time promoting exports of local goods to the world’s biggest economy, President Mnangagwa has said.
All this will be done in the spirit of “constructing a mutually beneficial and positive relationship” with President Donald Trump’s administration.
The US new baseline tariff of 10 percent on imports became effective yesterday.
However, the new regime of reciprocal tariffs, which will see Zimbabwean goods into the US attracting a punitive 18 percent tariff, is scheduled to start on Wednesday.
“The principle of reciprocal tariffs, as a tool for safeguarding domestic employment and industrial sectors, holds merit. However, the Republic of Zimbabwe maintains a policy of fostering amicable relations with all nations, and cultivating adversarial relationships with none,” said the President on his X handle.
“In the spirit of constructing a mutually beneficial and positive relationship with the United States of America, under the leadership of President Trump, I will direct the Zimbabwean Government to implement a suspension of all tariffs levied on goods originating from the United States. This measure is intended to facilitate the expansion of American imports within the Zimbabwean market, while simultaneously promoting the growth of Zimbabwean exports destined for the United States. This action underscores our commitment to a framework of equitable trade and enhanced bilateral cooperation.”
The Office of the United States Trade Representative says reciprocal tariffs “are calculated as the tariff rate necessary to balance bilateral trade deficits between the US and each of our trading partners”.
The US trade deficit with Zimbabwe stood at US$24,1 million last year, as its imports from Harare, at US$67,8 million, outstripped its US$43,8 million exports.
The country’s main exports to the US include tobacco, minerals and textiles.
However, owing to US sanctions on Zimbabwe, the bulk of imports comes from China, South Africa and the European Union.
Seven other member states of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) — Lesotho (50 percent), Madagascar (47 percent), Mauritius (40 percent), Botswana (37 percent), Angola (32 percent), South Africa (30 percent) and Namibia (21 percent) — have relatively higher reciprocal tariffs than Zimbabwe.
Countries such as Vietnam, which attracted the highest reciprocal tariff, at 90 percent, is presently negotiating with the US and intends to slash import tariffs on US goods to zero.
Zimbabwe has been championing economic diplomacy to broaden its markets with a significant measure of success.
Over the past seven years, Harare has grown its trade with the United Arab Emirates from below US$100 million to nearly US$2 billion in 2023.
Last year, overall exports rose to a record US$7,4 billion in 2024, up from US$7,2 billion the previous year.
With the new US tariffs, the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) — a US trade agreement that provides preferential access to the US market for eligible Sub-Saharan African countries — now looks uncertain.
Zimbabwe, however, does not benefit from this special dispensation, which is set to expire in September 2025.
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