Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, announced on Saturday the suspension of all tariffs on imports from the United States, just days after United States President Donald Trump imposed 18 percent tariffs on Zimbabwean goods.
Although Zimbabwe’s key trading partners include the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, and China, its exports to the U.S., mainly tobacco and sugar are relatively minor.
“I will direct the Zimbabwean government to implement a suspension of all tariffs levied on goods originating from the United States,” Mnangagwa stated in a post on X.
According to him, the decision is “intended to facilitate the expansion of American imports within the Zimbabwean market, while simultaneously promoting the growth of Zimbabwean exports destined for the United States.”
Data from the U.S. government shows that trade between the two countries totaled $111.6 million in 2024.
Historically, Zimbabwe and the U.S. have had a strained relationship, especially since the early 2000s when the U.S. began imposing sanctions on former President Robert Mugabe’s administration.
Harare has long held the West particularly U.S. sanctions, responsible for its prolonged economic crisis. In response, Zimbabwe has strengthened trade ties with nations such as the UAE and China.
Although the U.S. ended its previous sanctions program last year, it introduced new targeted measures against Mnangagwa and top government officials, citing human rights violations and corruption.
Mnangagwa had described those sanctions by then-President Joe Biden as “illegal and unjustified.”
However, Saturday’s move could complicate Zimbabwe’s regional standing, analysts warn. Tendai Mbanje of the African Centre for Governance in Johannesburg noted that the tariff suspension “carries significant negative implications for Zimbabwe and its relations within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).”
As the current chair of the 16-member bloc, Zimbabwe’s unilateral action “might be perceived as prioritising relations with the US over regional solidarity,” Mbanje told AFP.
He also questioned the economic value of the decision, stating that given the limited trade volume, it “may not yield substantial economic benefits for Zimbabwe” and could “only benefit the US.”
Meanwhile, award-winning journalist and activist Hopewell Chin’ono criticized the move as reactionary.
Calling it a “knee-jerk reaction,” Chin’ono suggested it might be an attempt to curry favor with Trump and push for sanctions to be lifted.
“It does not make much sense for Mnangagwa to prioritise appeasing the United States in this way,” he said on X. “Zimbabwe’s isolated response could expose it to unintended economic consequences or trade retaliation.”
