Trump's Tariff Threat Devastates Lesotho's Textile Sector

Former President Trump's threat to impose a 50 percent tariff on Lesotho, a small African nation, significantly impacted its textile industry. While the final tariff was 15 percent, the announcement caused widespread job losses and economic hardship in Lesotho, where textiles are a major employer and export. Workers like Mathuso Tau lost their jobs, facing financial distress and anxiety due to the uncertainty and reduced market access to the United States. The threat, stemming from remarks deriding Lesotho's obscurity, highlighted the vulnerability of developing economies to major trading partners' policy shifts.