Trump administration weighs adding 25 African countries to travel ban
US President Donald Trump's administration is considering significantly expanding its travel restrictions by potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries — including 25 from Africa — from entering the US, according to an internal state department cable seen by Reuters.
Earlier this month the Republican president signed a proclamation that banned the entry of citizens from 12 countries, saying the move was needed to protect the US against "foreign terrorists" and other national security threats.
The directive was part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members, as well as efforts to deny enrolments of some foreign students from US universities and deport others.
In an internal diplomatic cable signed by US secretary of state Marco Rubio, the state department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and sought corrective action.
"The department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days," the cable sent out over the weekend said.
The cable was first reported by the Washington Post.
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Eyewitness News
3 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Oil prices swing with stocks as traders keep tabs on Israel-Iran crisis
HONG KONG - Oil prices and equities fluctuated Tuesday as investors weighed Donald Trump called for Tehran residents to evacuate and hopes that the conflict between Israel and Iran does not descend into all-out war. While the crisis in the Middle East continues to instil uncertainty on trading floors as the two foes exchange deadly missiles strikes, talk that the Islamic republic wanted to make a nuclear deal was providing some optimism. After Friday's surge sparked by Israel's attacks on its regional foe, crude ticked more than one% lower Monday as traders bet that the conflict would not spread throughout the Middle East and key oil sites were mostly left untouched. Prices edged back up after Trump took to social media calling for the evacuation of the Iranian capital, which is home to nearly 10 million people. "Iran should have signed the 'deal' I told them to sign," he said, referring to nuclear talks that were taking place. "What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" Trump later poured cold water on remarks from French President Emmanuel Macron that he was leaving the G7 summit in Canada to discuss a possible ceasefire. Oil prices spiked around two% Tuesday before reversing the gains, with Schroders senior economist George Brown saying it was unlikely Iran would strangle flows of the commodity through a key supply route. "The likelihood of Iran taking any action in the Strait of Hormuz, the often-touted disaster scenario for oil markets, appears very remote," he wrote in a note. "Such action would impact flows for the other Middle East nations who are aiming to mediate the situation, while inflicting little harm on Israel." Traders are keeping a wary eye on developments in the crisis, with the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz leaving Southeast Asia on Monday after cancelling a Vietnam visit as the Pentagon announced it was sending "additional capabilities" to the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted Israel's campaign was "changing the face of the Middle East". Trump has maintained that Washington has "nothing to do" with its ally's campaign, but Iran's foreign minister said Monday the US leader could halt the attacks with "one phone call". Tehran has said it would hit US sites if Washington got involved. Meanwhile, top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany called on Iran to quickly return to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme, a French diplomatic source said. The US president had earlier said Iran wanted to make a deal, adding "as soon as I leave here, we're going to be doing something". He later left the gathering in the Rockies, telling reporters: "I have to be back as soon as I can. I wish I could stay for tomorrow, but they understand, this is big stuff." Tehran had signalled a desire to de-escalate and resume nuclear talks with Washington as long as the United States did not join conflict, according to the Wall Street Journal. Equities were mixed in Asian trade, with Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, Manila, Bangkok, Jakarta and Taipei all advancing, while Hong Kong, Sydney, Wellington and Mumbai struggled along with London, Paris and Frankfurt. Shanghai was flat. The region struggled to follow a positive lead from Wall Street, with dealers also keeping tabs on the G7 summit, where world leaders pushed back against Trump's trade war, arguing it posed a risk to global economic stability. Leaders from Britain, Canada, Italy, Japan, Germany and France called on the president to reverse course on his plans to impose even steeper tariffs on countries across the globe next month. On currency markets the yen was slightly down against the dollar after the Bank of Japan stood pat on interest rates and said it would slow the tapering of its bond purchases. Carol Kong, an analyst at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, told AFP: "Slowing the bond taper will help keep interest rates lower than otherwise, providing support to the economy amid heightened trade uncertainty." KEY FIGURES AT AROUND 0715 GMT West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.4% at $71.48 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4% at $72.97 per barrel Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.6% at 38,536.74 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.5% at 23,940.90 Shanghai - Composite: FLAT at 3,387.40 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.5% at 8,833.19 Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1560 from $1.1562 on Monday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3561 from $1.3579 Dollar/yen: UP at 144.88 yen from 144.79 yen Euro/pound: UP at 85.26 pence from 85.12 pence New York - Dow: UP 0.8% at 42,515.09 (close)
The Citizen
4 hours ago
- The Citizen
China's clever trade deal with Africa – removal of tariffs on most goods
While the US is alienating other countries with high import tariffs, China is making friends in Africa by scrapping most import tariffs. While the rest of the world is sidetracked with the unrest in the Middle East and US President Donald Trump's on-again, off-again import tariffs, China made a clever trade deal with Africa to remove tariffs on most African exports. This not only boosts its trade potential, it also expands Beijing's influence. Brendon Verster, economist at Oxford Economics Africa, says as the US retreats and turns its focus inward, China's economic incentives deepen ties, reinforcing it as Africa's key partner. 'This shift may weaken the US's leverage and reshape global alliances in China's favour, despite risks from its slowing economy.' Last week, China announced plans to eliminate all tariffs on imports from 53 African sovereign states it maintains diplomatic ties with. Eswatini is the only exception due to its recognition of Taiwan's sovereignty. The Changsha Declaration on Upholding Solidarity and Cooperation of the Global South advances the full implementation of the Beijing Declaration reached in September 2024, which in turn aims to 'jointly build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era,' Verster says. 'The move can be considered a push by Beijing to capitalise on the chaos caused by Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs. Although the agreement text does not mention him by name, it does note that the parties agree that the frequent occurrence of unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying has created severe difficulties for the economic and social development and the improvement of livelihood in African countries and other developing countries.' ALSO READ: China risks its moral high ground in escalating trade tensions China rather wants to resolve disputes Verster points out that in addition, the declaration states that the parties 'call on all countries and the US in particular, to return to the right track of resolving trade disputes through consultation based on equality, respect and mutual benefit. 'The new zero-tariff pledge marks a pronounced expansion of China's previous trade policy announced last year, which removed tariffs on imports from 33 countries globally that are deemed the least developed. 'Moreover, the continent's most underdeveloped economies, which already have full access to the Chinese market, will receive additional assistance to bolster their exports. These include measures on market access, inspection and quarantine and customs clearance.' Before the latest announcement, Chinese trade already dominated across Africa. Among the continent's major economies, the Asian giant outstrips the US as an export destination by a significant margin, especially in the DRC, accounting for 66% of goods exports, Angola (46.4%), Zimbabwe (20.1%) and Zambia (18.7%). ALSO READ: China challenges Trump's economic 'bullying' US ahead of China in some African economies However, Verster says, the US is still ahead of China in several economies, such as in Lesotho, Mauritius, Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria and Kenya. He also points out that apart from trade, China is almost on par with the US in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI). According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's 2023 World Investment Report, FDI inflows to Africa from the US totalled $45 billion in 2021, down from $50 billion in 2017. FDI inflows from China were recorded at $44 billion in 2021, slightly higher than the $43 billion registered in 2017. This chart shows how China's trade deal solidifies an already solid position as Africa's key trade partner: Source: International Trade Centre, *Includes Hong Kong ALSO READ: SA eyes boost in trade with China at November expo China's removal of tariffs has implications for power dynamics with US Verster says China's step to remove all tariffs on most African goods has important implications for the continent as well as the evolving power dynamics between the US and China. 'From a geopolitical standpoint, China's move is a long-term bet on African alignment and growth as well as a deepening of its commitment to South-South cooperation. 'The US has been moving away from these policies and China's removal of tariffs is part of a wider architecture that also includes concessional loans and large-scale infrastructure spending. As Washington turns its focus inward and its engagement in Africa becomes increasingly transactional or conditional, Beijing is stepping in to fill the void with consistent and unconditional economic incentives.' He says China is entrenching its position as Africa's most significant economic partner and expanding the continent's export potential. 'The strategic move significantly boosts China's soft power and trade leverage, especially given the US's decisions to tighten trade restrictions and cut development funding. 'African countries stand to gain from potential export diversification, increased foreign exchange earnings and closer integration into global value chains. Still, the Chinese economy is losing steam, which could weigh on its import demand.' ALSO READ: China welcomes Cyril – and tightens ties with 8 agreements Africa to become major player in critical minerals market Verster says Africa is also poised to become a major player in the critical minerals market as the world shifts to sustainable practices. 'Beijing's move could be considered an attempt to keep the continent close as the scramble for critical minerals ramps up and China seeks to assert its dominance over these supply chains.' As China's trade diplomacy cultivates closer bilateral ties, the broader implication is a gradual decline in US influence in Africa. Verster believes that African leaders might be more inclined to support China's viewpoints on the global stage, which would diminish Western influence. 'Furthermore, Western attempts to establish international trade regulations or impose sanctions may lose their effectiveness as African economies become more integrated with Chinese supply chains and trade networks. 'In short, Beijing's zero-tariff policy is not just a trade initiative but a strategic manoeuvre to reshape its alliances with Africa, reduce the US's leverage and embed China more deeply in the African continent's economic and political future.'
TimesLIVE
4 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Trump administration weighs adding 25 African countries to travel ban
US President Donald Trump's administration is considering significantly expanding its travel restrictions by potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries — including 25 from Africa — from entering the US, according to an internal state department cable seen by Reuters. Earlier this month the Republican president signed a proclamation that banned the entry of citizens from 12 countries, saying the move was needed to protect the US against "foreign terrorists" and other national security threats. The directive was part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members, as well as efforts to deny enrolments of some foreign students from US universities and deport others. In an internal diplomatic cable signed by US secretary of state Marco Rubio, the state department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and sought corrective action. "The department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days," the cable sent out over the weekend said. The cable was first reported by the Washington Post.
