In April 2025, former U.S. President Donald Trump proposed higher taxes (called tariffs) on goods coming into the United States. Most imports would face a 10% tax, and some countries would pay even more. This plan could hurt many African economies, especially those that benefit from a trade deal called the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
$8 Billion in African Exports at Risk
These new tariffs could impact around $8 billion worth of goods that African countries sell to the U.S., threatening trade relationships that have been built over many years.
A report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warns that this policy would cause serious harm to small and poor countries that depend on selling goods to the U.S.
Many African countries benefit from easier access to the U.S. market under AGOA. However, UNCTAD says these countries don’t actually cause much of the U.S. trade deficit. So taxing their goods wouldn’t help the U.S. make more money but would make life harder for the countries affected.
Trade Challenges for African Countries
Even though some African nations can export to the U.S. tax-free, they still face many problems—such as shipping issues, tough quality rules, and complicated laws. They also tend to export only a few types of goods, which makes it hard to grow their economies or benefit fully from trade deals.
UNCTAD’s report also says that out of 57 small or poor U.S. trading partners, 28 of them each account for less than 0.1% of the U.S. trade deficit. This means their overall impact on the U.S. economy is very small.
Putting high tariffs on them wouldn’t help the U.S. much but would seriously hurt their chances of selling goods.
Top 10 African Countries the U.S. Could Earn the Most From With Tariffs
Here are the African countries where the U.S. could collect the most money if new tariffs are applied:
| Rank | Country | Estimated Tariff Revenue | % of U.S. Customs Revenue (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tunisia | $313 million | 0.38% |
| 2 | Madagascar | $290 million | 0.35% |
| 3 | Côte d’Ivoire | $174 million | 0.21% |
| 4 | Botswana | $154 million | 0.19% |
| 5 | Algeria | $126 million | 0.15% |
| 6 | Lesotho | $119 million | 0.14% |
| 7 | Mauritius | $93 million | 0.11% |
| 8 | Nigeria | $58 million | 0.07% |
| 9 | Namibia | $40 million | 0.05% |
| 10 | Angola | $38 million | 0.05% |
These figures show where the U.S. could make the most money from taxing African exports, but they also highlight how much these countries might lose in return.