US President Donald Trump's tariffs policy presents Moscow an opportunity to strengthen and improve its trade relationship with African countries, which seek to diversify their trade partnerships, Professor Olawale Ogunkola, the director of the Trade Policy Research and Training Program at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, told Sputnik.
"There is no doubt that African exporters will work towards diversifying markets away from the US. A comparative analysis of different markets and their market entry conditions will come into play as a guide," the expert said.
At the same time, the US has never been Africa's sole export market. Beyond Russia, alternatives include trade with Europe, Asia, and South-South partnerships, he pointed out.
According to him, US tariffs suggest a "crude assertion" of power, which is "an ill wind that blows nobody any good," even the Americans themselves.
"The trade deficit that the 'reciprocal' rates are trying to turn into a surplus is not an emergency that requires bypassing the WTO processes for seeking redress," the professor emphasized.
Ogunkola also doubted that US tariffs are "the best antidote to trade deficit," because the WTO "has an inbuilt mechanism to seek remedy in case of injury."