Ecobank Says African Trade Crucial to Avert Tariff Fallout

Jeremy Awori
Photographer: Issouf Sanogo/AFP/Getty Images

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By Moses Mozart Dzawu and Jennifer Zabasajja

April 7, 2025 at 7:01 AM UTC

Updated on

April 7, 2025 at 9:47 AM UTC

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African nations can weather the potential fallout of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs by increasing trade among each other, according to the head of a bank that operates in 35 countries on the continent.

Trump’s tariffs will supersede the African Growth and Opportunity Act that about 30 nations used to develop export-oriented industries such as apparel. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa exported $29 billion of goods in 2023 to the US, making it the region’s largest market after China, United Arab Emirates and India.