The Kingdom of Lesotho continues to seek an audience with United States President Donald Trump, after the tiny southern African nation was slapped with a 50 percent trade tariff that risks wiping out nearly half of its exports.
Lesotho’s modest US$2 billion gross domestic product (GDP) economy banks on exports, particularly of textiles to countries including the United States, for globally renowned American brands such as Levi's and Calvin Klein.
IOL reported on Wednesday that Trump has announced a 90-day pause on the heavy tariffs - but has hit China with a 125% tariff. Trump's latest move sees all countries slapped with a 10% baseline, except for the People’s Republic of China.
Lesotho’s Trade, Industry and Business Development Minister, Mokhethi Shelile told the SABC that there was not much excitement from Maseru over the 90-day pause.
“I do not know what is going to happen after 90 days, besides a reprieve said to be for 90 days. It is said that it is done so that we can sit down and negotiate. I do not have a good experience in terms of trying to get meetings with the (Trump) administration … it can happen that after three months we have not even been able to sit down with the American government to negotiate,” said Shelile.
“I think it is one of those things giving us time to, maybe keep on our strategy to diversify.”
IOL reported earlier this week that Lesotho is seeking a telephonic conversation with Trump, following the announcement of the high tariffs.
Shelile said he is not confident of getting that meeting with Trump.
“I hope we will be given an audience. I am not confident. I was talking to our ambassador in Washington and he told me something very disturbing. He said ‘minister, let us forget about meeting the US government at this time’. Instead of giving us an appointment, they want us to write a proposal.
“I do not know what that means. For me, I am not as confident,” said Shelile.
IOL reported earlier this week that some African countries have been hit harder by tariffs from the US - ranging from 50 percent for the small African Kingdom of Lesotho, a major textile exporter, to 30 percent and above for South Africa, Madagascar and Botswana.
On Tuesday, Lesotho's foreign minister, Lejone Mpotjoane, told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika that his government has already engaged the US embassy in Maseru, and seeks to escalate the conversation with Trump.
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"We have asked for the meeting with US executive, we have already engaged with the US embassy here in Maseru, and we have already asked for the call with US president," Mpotjoane told the television news channel.
While waiting for the direct engagement with Trump, Mpotjoane said Lesotho is currently engaging its other markets in the region and beyond.
“The meeting (with United States executives) has not taken place, even our request for a call, we are still waiting for a response from the US,” said Mpotjoane.
“In the meantime, as a member of the Southern African Customs Union we have already engaged as a region with our technical tariff officers and the intention is to have an urgent meeting of SACU to agree as a bloc as to what we do.
“Secondly, our goods from the textile industries, parts of them go to the US and parts of them go to South Africa while parts go to other markets … so in the meantime we are engaging with our partners from other countries to ensure that we secure other markets,” he said.
The foreign minister said Lesotho has sent a note verbale to request the high-level meeting with US executives, and for the phone call with Trump.
The Mountain Kingdom exports goods amounting to US$240 million per annum to the US, while the US exports goods of only around US$8 million per annum to Lesotho.
IOL