Lesotho’s Trade minister urges rethink of global trade amid tariffs crisis |20 May 2025

Lesotho’s Trade minister urges rethink of global trade amid tariffs crisis

The Kingdom of Lesotho’s Minister for Trade and Industry, Mokhethi Shelile, has advocated for a radical reimagining of global trade, warning that the recent imposition of reciprocal tariffs by the United States threatens to unravel years of progress in inclusive trade across the Southern African region.

Speaking at the High-Level Dialogue on Trade Justice held in Sandton, South Africa, Mr Shelile warned that the new U.S. tariffs, among them a 10% blanket duty on all imports, signal “a deepening economic nationalism and a widening chasm between the Global North and the aspirations of our people in the Global South.”

“These tariffs threaten to undo years of progress toward inclusive and sustainable trade in our region,” the minister cautioned, addressing the gathering of policy makers, academics, civil society actors and parliamentarians.

By Moses Magadza

Media and communications manager at the SADC PF

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