Trump’s 50% Tariffs on Lesotho: Analysts Slam "Unjustifiable" Move Threatening 40,000 Jobs

• Why Is Lesotho in Trump’s Crosshairs?
• The Human Cost: Mass Layoffs and Factory Closures
• Trade Experts Call the Move “Economic Nonsense”
• What’s Next for U.S.-Africa Trade Relations?
• FAQs: Trump’s Lesotho Tariffs Explained

In a move that’s left trade experts scratching their heads, the TRUMP administration’s proposed 50% tariffs on Lesotho’s textile exports could devastate the African nation’s economy. With 10% of Lesotho’s GDP and 40,000 jobs at stake, factories are already shutting down as the suspension deadline looms. Here’s why analysts call this one of the most baffling trade decisions in recent memory.

Why Is Lesotho in Trump’s Crosshairs?

Lesotho, a small mountainous kingdom encircled by South Africa, happens to be Africa’s top garment exporter to the U.S., supplying brands like Levi’s and Wrangler. Yet President Trump recently dismissed it as “a country nobody has ever heard of.” The proposed 50% tariff—among the steepest globally—comes despite Lesotho accounting for just 0.02% of the U.S. trade deficit. “It’s like using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut,” remarked Colette van der Ven of Tulip Consulting.

The Human Cost: Mass Layoffs and Factory Closures

Since the tariff threat emerged in April 2023, Lesotho’s textile industry has bled jobs. Teboho Kobeli of Afri Expo confirms factories are “totally shutting down” unless they diversify beyond U.S. orders. With 48% youth unemployment, the government declared a state of disaster this week, redirecting 3% of ministry budgets to create 60,000 agricultural and construction jobs. But as Shelile, a local economist, admits, “You can’t replace skilled textile jobs with farm work overnight.”

Trade Experts Call the Move “Economic Nonsense”

Analysts highlight three key flaws in the tariff logic: First, Lesotho’s textile value chain is globally dispersed—penalizing them won’t reduce the U.S. deficit. Second, African alternatives like South Africa can’t absorb the same volume or product types. Third, as Donald MacKay of XA Global Trade Advisors notes, “African consumers don’t wear Wrangler jeans like Americans do.” The BTCC team suggests this could backfire by pushing Lesotho closer to Chinese trade partners.

What’s Next for U.S.-Africa Trade Relations?

While the WHITE House develops a “template” for African trade deals (and recently hosted leaders from Gabon to Senegal), this episode reveals deeper issues. “It’s not about economics—it’s political theater,” argues van der Ven. With the suspension deadline approaching, Lesotho faces an impossible choice: accept devastating tariffs or abandon its largest market. Either way, as one factory manager put it, “We’re the collateral damage in a war we didn’t start.”

FAQs: Trump’s Lesotho Tariffs Explained

Why did Trump target Lesotho with tariffs?

The rationale remains unclear. Lesotho accounts for just 0.02% of the U.S. trade deficit, and its textile industry relies on global supply chains that minimize actual value added in the country.

How many jobs are at risk?

Over 40,000 textile workers face unemployment—equivalent to 1% of Lesotho’s population—with youth unemployment already at 48%.

Can Lesotho replace the U.S. market?

Unlikely in the short term. African markets demand different products, and building new trade relationships takes years.