MBABANE – Business Eswatini (BE) has sounded caution after fresh United States tariff moves, warning that local exporters face uncertainty amid shifting global trade rules.
Business Eswatini has raised concern over renewed uncertainty in global trade after Donald Trump doubled down on his aggressive tariff policy, hiking a blanket duty on imports into the United States to 15 per cent, just a day after the US Supreme Court ruled much of his tariff programme unlawful.
The latest move by the US president has sent fresh shockwaves through global markets and trade partners, with Business Eswatini warning that the developing trade war could have direct and indirect consequences for Eswatini’s export sector - particularly sugar and other products destined for the American market.
Trump announced the new global tariff on Saturday via his Truth Social platform, describing a Supreme Court ruling that sought to rein in his authority as an ‘extraordinarily anti-American decision’. He said the administration was hiking import levies ‘to the fully allowed and legally tested, 15 per cent level’ after reviewing the court judgment.
This came shortly after the Supreme Court, in a 6–3 ruling, rejected Trump’s authority to impose sweeping global tariffs under a 1977 economic emergency powers act. The ruling dealt a major blow to one of Trump’s signature economic policies, which has reshaped the global trade environment since his return to the White House 13 months ago. However, Trump quickly sought an alternative legal route, initially announcing a new 10 per cent global levy before escalating it to 15 per cent, a move expected to fuel further uncertainty for exporters and importers alike.
Reacting to the developments, Business Eswatini CEO Nathi Dlamini said while the Supreme Court ruling offered a measure of hope for affected trading partners, the situation remained fluid and unpredictable.
“Today it was reported that in a 170-page, 6–3 ruling, the US Supreme Court struck down the so-called Liberation Day global tariffs introduced by the Trump administration in 2025. Since their implementation, it is estimated that the US government has collected about US$150 billion, which, according to some reports, may have to be refunded to affected parties,” Dlamini said.
He noted that although Eswatini enjoys a favourable trading arrangement with the United States, local exporters remain subject to the baseline 10 per cent tariff that applies to all countries - a levy Business Eswatini hopes could be reversed if the Supreme Court ruling is fully implemented.
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Business Eswatini CEO Nathi Dlamini.