Relief for Lesotho as U.S. Court Strikes Down Trade Tariffs
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Business Development has welcomed the restoration of duty-free access for Lesotho exports to U.S. markets. The move follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down tariffs imposed on multiple nations by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The decision provides much-needed relief to Lesotho’s export-dependent garment industry and thousands of workers whose livelihoods were at risk. The announcement comes after months of uncertainty for the country’s largest manufacturing sector. The garment industry – which employs more than 30,000 people – had previously warned that the sweeping levies threatened factory closures and mass redundancies.
Despite the temporary reprieve, however, long-term uncertainty persists regarding the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The trade framework, which grants eligible African nations duty-free access to the U.S. market, is scheduled to expire on 31 December 2026 unless reauthorized by Congress.
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There is little reason to believe Congress will pass a last-minute extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which is set to expire on September 30th, says Witney Schneidman in an AllAfrica guest column. Even a short-term extension of the legislation that has been the cornerstone of the U.S.-African commercial relationship for the last 25 years and is set to expire on September 30th, would have benefits, preserving a tariff advantage for some African nations. It
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![Workers at a garment factory (file photo).]()
Labor unions have warned that as many as 20 thousand jobs are at risk as the country faces a potential 50 percent tariff hike from the U.S. Until the Trump administration introduced new tariffs on the country, Lesotho exported duty free to the U.S. under the African Growth and Opportunity Act – a trade program that provides duty-free
Workers in Maseru, Lesotho sewing apparel in a 100% locally owned manufacturing factory, operated by Afri-Expo Textiles that likely would have to reduce employment or shut down if the U.S. duty-free trade pact AGOA expires on September 30, 2025.
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