01-08-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
In a Country Trump Says Nobody's Heard Of, Tariffs Bring Chaos
MASERU, Lesotho—President Trump promised Africa that trade would replace aid when he dismantled America's foreign-assistance programs soon after taking office this year. But here in one of the world's poorest countries, his administration is slashing both.
Trump, who publicly disparaged Lesotho as a place 'nobody has ever heard of,' has threatened the tiny southern African country with 50% tariffs, among the highest rates proposed for any single nation or territory. Lesotho's garment exporters are already closing up shop in the face of dwindling orders, while other countries with more diplomatic resources rush to secure new trade deals with the White House.
