THE CHANGES IN AFRICA’S TRADE FRAMEWORK AFTER DONALD TRUMP’S RECIPROCAL TARIFFS

Tóm tắt

The article analyzes the changes in Africa’s trade framework following U.S. President Donald Trump’s implementation of reciprocal tariffs in 2025. The analysis draws on three complementary theoretical frameworks–dependency theory, adaptive institutionalism, and a strategic interdependence lens to interpret how African states adjust to these shifts in great-power tariff policy. Drawing on recent trade practices between China and the United States in several key African countries, the author assesses the impacts of Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on selected African nations. Countries with deep economic ties to China, such as South Africa and Algeria, continue to face high tariffs, while those aligned with U.S. strategic interests or benefiting from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) enjoy significant tariff reductions. This dynamic has encouraged African nations to diversify their trade partners, strengthen intra-African trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and expand South–South cooperation with emerging economies. The article also examines U.S.–China competition in Africa, highlighting an emerging trend of strategic restructuring in which the United States seeks to strengthen its role in certain key sectors across the continent.