U.S. Slaps 10% Tariff on Togo: Trade Tensions Threaten AGOA Gains and Fuel China Shift
On April 2, 2025, the U.S. announced a 10% customs duty on all imports from Togo, effective April 5, 2025—a move that risks derailing the West African nation’s export growth and complicates the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). President Donald Trump’s decision, part of a broader tariff wave targeting African nations, hits Togo’s agricultural and textile sectors hardest, while raising questions about AGOA’s renewal and Togo’s pivot to China. Key Impacts on Togo’s Economy Agricultural exports at risk: Coffee, cocoa, shea butter, and soybeans—cornerstones of Togo’s $97M U.S. export market (2024)—face immediate strain. These products thrived under AGOA, which enabled duty-free access since 2000. Textile blow: The Plateforme Industrielle d’Adétikopé (PIA), a flagship industrial zone, recently began exporting garments to the U.S. New tariffs could stifle this nascent growth. Regional disparities: Lesotho faces a steeper 50% tariff, […]
