Lesotho Declares State of National Emergency Due to US Tariff
Lesotho Declares State of National Emergency Due to US Tariff
The US government’s decision to increase tariffs on imports from Lesotho caused a sharp rise in unemployment in the country, its Minister of Trade, Mokethi Shelite, said, noting that the textile industry will be hit hardest.
The emergency regime will allow the government to accelerate the creation of 60,000 jobs outside the textile industry within the next two years, Shelile told Western media.
Textiles, purchased by popular brands including Levi's, constitute Lesotho's primary export to the US. In 2024, the landlocked nation supplied goods worth $237 million to the US, accounting for a significant tenth of Lesotho's GDP.
The emergency status, effective until June 30, 2027, aims to streamline decision-making processes for investments and public budget allocations towards job creation, by reducing bureaucratic hurdles, according to Shelite.
Subscribe to @sputnik_africa
