UK must press US to remove tariffs on Global South

As the next US-imposed tariff deadline of 1st August looms, a coalition of trade justice campaigners are urging the UK Government to speak out against Donald Trump’s escalating tariff threats, warning that they will deepen economic hardship in Global South countries.

The US has issued letters to various countries, reiterating accusations of unfair trade practices and threats of eye-watering tariffs. The ongoing uncertainty is disrupting the economies of countries in the Global South. The tariffs could sound the death knell for crucial industries and livelihoods. Lesotho has already declared a state of emergency in response to the looming crisis.  

The coalition has condemned the tariffs as unfair and unrealistic, stressing that they undermine the principle of Special and Differential Treatment, a long-standing cornerstone of the global trading system, designed to protect countries in the Global South, to which the UK is supposedly deeply committed.  

The coalition is urging the UK Government to:

• Introduce a Business, Human Rights and Environment Act to ensure trade respects ethical and environmental standards;

• Review trade and investment provisions with Global South partners, including:

  • Only opening new negotiations on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) if they are in the interest of partner countries;

  • Suspending EPAs that are damaging to Global South priorities;

  • Cancelling Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions in trade deals with the Global South.