On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a new set of tariffs aimed at imports from various African nations, including Togo, which will incur a base tariff of 10% on all its exports starting April 5.
This policy is expected to have a significant impact on agricultural exports, particularly coffee, cocoa, shea, and soybeans, which are vital to Togo’s trade relationship with the United States, especially under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
The implementation of these tariffs may hinder the growth of Togolese exports to the U.S. market. In recent years, these exports have experienced remarkable growth, increasing from approximately $20 million in 2021 to over $90 million in 2023, and reaching $97 million in 2024, as reported by the United Nations International Trade Database (COMTRADE) in April 2025. This positive trend could be threatened by the introduction of these new tariffs.
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The Togolese textile sector, which commenced exporting garments from the Adétikopé Industrial Platform (PIA) to the United States last year, now faces potential penalties.
Nevertheless, in comparison to other African nations, Togo is relatively insulated from the impact of this new customs regulation. The 10% minimum threshold applied to Togolese exports is significantly lower than the 50% requirement imposed on Lesotho, the country most severely affected on the continent.
This development occurs amidst growing uncertainty regarding the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), established in 2000 and set to expire in September 2025. While African nations are advocating for a 10-year extension of this policy, the customs regulations introduced by the Trump administration present a significant challenge.
In light of this situation, Togo may seek to enhance its ties with China, which has eliminated customs duties on 98% of products imported from Togo and eight other African nations (Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Guinea, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Sudan) since September 2022.
