Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa says he’s dropping all tariffs on US goods—just days after Donald Trump hit Zimbabwe with new trade duties.
The announcement came Saturday through a post on X, where Mnangagwa said the move aims to boost American imports into Zimbabwe. At the same time, he hopes it’ll open more doors for Zimbabwean products in the US market.
Trump’s administration recently slapped an 18% tariff on Zimbabwe, despite the fact that the southern African country sends only a small amount of goods—mainly tobacco and sugar—to the US.
The US isn’t even one of Zimbabwe’s top trade partners. That list is led by the UAE, South Africa, and China. In 2024, the total trade between Zimbabwe and the US was just $111.6 million, according to US government stats.
Still, Mnangagwa is betting this unexpected tariff cut might smooth things over. But critics aren’t so sure.
Journalist and activist Hopewell Chin’ono called the move a “knee-jerk reaction,” hinting that Mnangagwa’s real goal is to push for the removal of US sanctions.
He argued that acting solo like this could undermine regional trade agreements with groups like the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and possibly ruffle feathers with Zimbabwe’s key allies like China and South Africa.
“Does Zimbabwe even export enough to the US to justify trying to appease Trump’s administration in this way?” Chin’ono asked.
US-Zimbabwe relations have been rocky for decades. Since the early 2000s, Washington has pressured Zimbabwe over human rights issues tied to former leader Robert Mugabe.
Although the US lifted broad sanctions last year, it kept targeted measures against Mnangagwa and other top officials, accusing them of corruption and abuses.
At the time, Mnangagwa called those sanctions “illegal and unjustified.”
Now, with this latest move, he’s hoping to change the tone. But whether it leads to better trade—or just more tension—remains to be seen.
