US tariffs: COMESA mulls joint response
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Africa’s largest trade alliance, is considering a coordinated response to rising trade tensions with the United States.
The strategy includes enhancing intra-regional trade and pursuing new international agreements. Eight affected countries face economic challenges due to US tariffs introduced as part of trade measures. COMESA, representing 19 member states and a population of about 390 million, is preparing to push back against US tariff measures that have impacted several African countries both within and outside the bloc.
The reciprocal tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump have placed eight COMESA member states under mounting economic pressure, prompting calls for a unified response.
In a policy statement released this week, COMESA outlined a “variable cooperative game strategy” aimed at countering the impact of the tariffs.
The proposed approach includes pursuing alternative trade agreements, enhancing intra-regional trade, and accelerating investments in regional infrastructure to reduce external dependencies.
The eight affected member states which include Democratic Republic of Congo (11 percent), Libya (31 percent), Madagascar (47 percent), Malawi (17 percent), Mauritius (40 percent), Tunisia (28 percent), Zambia (17 percent), and Zimbabwe (18 percent) now face mounting challenges as a result of the US tariffs.
US president Donald Trump said these tariffs which took effect on April 2 were part of efforts to address trade imbalances and boost domestic manufacturing in the United States. — Business Insider Africa.
