Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced plans to suspend all tariffs on goods imported from the United States. The announcement comes shortly after former US President Donald Trump imposed 18 percent tariffs on goods from Zimbabwe.
Mnangagwa made the declaration on Saturday via a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the decision aims to encourage more American goods in Zimbabwe’s market and boost Zimbabwean exports to the US.
“I will direct the Zimbabwean government to implement a suspension of all tariffs levied on goods originating from the United States,” he wrote.
The total trade between Zimbabwe and the US stood at $111.6 million in 2024, with Zimbabwe mostly exporting tobacco and sugar. The country’s key trade partners remain the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, and China.
Political observers believe the move may be connected to efforts to mend strained relations between the two countries. Since the early 2000s, the US has maintained various forms of sanctions against Zimbabwe, particularly under the late Robert Mugabe. Although the Biden administration removed the old sanctions programme in 2023, new targeted sanctions were placed on Mnangagwa and other top officials, citing human rights violations and corruption.
Mnangagwa previously described those sanctions as “illegal and unjustified”.
Popular journalist and activist Hopewell Chin’ono criticised the President’s decision, calling it a “knee-jerk reaction” and suggesting it may be an attempt to win favour with the US and possibly push for the lifting of sanctions.
“Does Zimbabwe even export enough to the US to justify trying to appease Trump’s administration in this way?” Chin’ono asked in his reaction on X.
He also warned that acting alone, without consulting regional allies like the Southern African Development Community (SADC), could harm Zimbabwe’s standing with key economic partners.
The government has not yet released full details on when the tariff suspension will begin or which products will be affected.
