Lesotho says lowered U.S. tariffs still threaten textile industry

Lesotho’s government warned that a new 15% U.S. tariff on its textile exports, though reduced from a proposed 50%, could still cripple its economy. Officials say the cut is not enough to protect jobs in the garment industry, which depends heavily on duty-free access to the U.S. market.

While the reduction was welcomed in some quarters, officials in Maseru said the impact could still be devastating.

The country’s Trade and Industry Minister, Mokhethi Shelile, said the lowered rate offered little relief, arguing that Lesotho could not compete with countries that remained tariff-free.

“For me it’s still like 50%,” Shelile said. “Our people in the garment industry will not compete. And they are, both are in the same market as us, and it would be quite easy for the buyers to switch their allegiance.”

The textile sector accounts for a large share of Lesotho’s formal employment and exports. But with some buyers already pulling out, workers and vendors said they were beginning to feel the pressure.

The government said it would continue lobbying Washington for a complete exemption. Without urgent intervention, business owners and unions warn the industry—one of Lesotho’s few economic lifelines—may not survive.

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