Zimbabwe goods to attract 18% tariffs as US introduces measures to curb trade deficit

The United States yesterday introduced “reciprocal trade and tariffs” to reduce its trade deficit which it says amounted to US$1.2 trillion last year.

Zimbabwe tariffs were set at 18%, significantly lower than other Southern African countries like Lesotho which stood at 50%; Madagascar, 47%; Mauritius, 40%; Botswana, 38%; Angola, 32% and South Africa, 31%.

The Democratic Republic of Congo had the lowest tariff of 11%, followed by Mozambique, 16%; and Zambia 18%.

There are no tariffs rates for Comoros, Eswatini and Tanzania.

Tariffs are taxes imposed by one country on goods imported from another country. They are trade barriers that raise prices, reduce available quantities of goods and services and create an economic burden on foreign exporters.

United States President Donald Trump said he had imposed the tariffs because US goods trade deficits had grown by over 40% in the past 5 years alone, reaching US$1.2 trillion in 2024. 

“Large and persistent annual US goods trade deficits have led to the hollowing out of our manufacturing base; inhibited our ability to scale advanced domestic manufacturing capacity; undermined critical supply chains; and rendered our defense-industrial base dependent on foreign adversaries,” he said. 

“From 1997 to 2024, the United States lost around 5 million manufacturing jobs and experienced one of the largest drops in manufacturing employment in history,” he said.

Below is the full list of countries and tariffs imposed on them.

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