President Donald Trump has announced a 90-day pause on the imposition of new global tariffs, temporarily easing tensions in the volatile international trade arena.
The move, coupled with a reduced 10% reciprocal tariff during the pause, signals a rare moment of restraint in Trump’s otherwise aggressive trade posture. The announcement, made via Truth Social on Wednesday (9 April), follows global backlash against sweeping tariffs introduced recently, which have drawn retaliation and prompted diplomatic appeals from multiple countries. Trump stated the pause was intended to “create room for renewed dialogue,” and claimed that over 75 nations are now engaged in talks with U.S. officials.
Among the most impacted regions is Africa, where several nations — including Zimbabwe and Zambia — have scrambled to avoid tariff penalties. Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa suspended tariffs on U.S. imports in hopes of improving bilateral trade, while Zambia offered to drop all duties on American goods. Yet, analysts argue these isolated concessions reflect Africa’s fragmented response to a shared challenge.
Ghanaian financial economist and policy analyst Ephraim Ofori Numosuor urged African leaders to act through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), warning that “retaliatory tariffs by single African countries mean little to a superpower like the United States.” While Trump’s move provides a temporary reprieve, he continues to escalate duties on Chinese goods, raising them to 125%. For African nations, the pause presents not just a window of opportunity to engage in negotiations, but also a chance to unify and redefine their position in global trade.