While President Donald Trump’s April 2 announcement of sweeping new tariffs did not surprise major economies like China and the European Union (EU), it sent shockwaves through much of the Global South.
Countries across Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the small island states were caught off guard by the re-imposition of unilateral tariffs, with many markets trembling under the weight of renewed uncertainty.
But while the temptation may be to respond forcefully and quickly, the more responsible path forward is not through retaliatory escalation, but through strategic coordination and economic adaptability.
Tariffs have never been a winning strategy in any trade war. The appropriate response, therefore, is not reactive brinkmanship, but a coherent, multilateral approach designed to prevent another spiral into global recession.
For African countries like Kenya facing a new 10 percent reciprocal tariff this moment comes at a particularly precarious time.
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which has underpinned preferential US-Africa trade for over two decades, is set to expire in September.
Signs are mounting that it may not be renewed, further compounding economic vulnerability. African nations must now reassess their dependency on US trade preferences and begin to take seriously the long-term vision of regional integration.
The message is clear: no country can face these shocks alone. While leaders from all corners of the world have long spoken in favour of multilateralism, recent developments demonstrate that protectionism and unilateralism are once again gaining ground.
Rather than respond in isolation, countries must collaborate—shielding each other from the ripple effects of unpredictable US trade policies.
The assumption that the US remains the default leader of global trade must be revisited. The events of April 2 signal a broader shift: trade leadership is now contested, and resilience lies not in dependence but in diversification.
What is needed is strategic patience, economic adaptability, and a renewed commitment to rules-based trade governance with or without US participation.
Africa, in particular, must reimagine its economic future. Many of its economies remain structurally reliant on raw exports. Yet, despite the promising creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the pace of implementation remains slow.
It is disheartening that while African states actively seek duty-free access to external markets, they continue to impose high tariffs and quotas on intra-African trade, undermining Pan-African ambitions. This contradiction must end if Africa is to leverage its collective power.
While retaliatory action is often a natural reaction especially when major powers like the US play hardball it is far more important that countries emphasize global economic coordination over tit-for-tat policy.
The disjointed, reactive strategies of Trump’s first term must not be repeated in this new chapter of economic confrontation.
China, targeted most heavily by the new tariffs, is already pursuing a path of supply chain resilience and technological self-sufficiency.
Instead of escalating its dispute with Washington, Beijing is doubling down on its engagement in regional frameworks like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and BRICS+.
These partnerships allow China to stabilize trade flows while investing in long-term economic diplomacy. Simultaneously, cautious but determined reform efforts at the World Trade Organization (WTO) remain a key piece of China’s broader strategy.
For the wider Global South including Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America—the way forward lies in plurilateralism and diversification.
Reducing overdependence on US markets, building capacity through regional development banks, and forging new trade alliances within the South-South axis are essential to achieving economic resilience.
This is also a critical moment to push for a revitalized WTO, one with a functioning appellate body and the capacity to address emerging areas like digital trade and climate-linked commerce.
Africa, especially, must abandon the siloed, bilateral approach that leaves it vulnerable to external pressure. Collective bargaining, coordinated trade defense mechanisms, and shared industrial policy are essential if the AfCFTA is to evolve into a truly transformative platform.
With vast reserves of critical minerals and renewable energy, Africa possesses strategic assets that can provide leverage in global trade negotiations—if deployed cohesively.
None of this precludes engagement with the United States. On the contrary, issue-specific diplomacy—on clean technology, rare earths, or supply chain security—can produce mutually beneficial outcomes.
But that engagement must be rooted in confidence and strategy, not desperation. It must reinforce multilateral trade norms, not abandon them for short-term relief.
The ultimate goal is not merely to neutralize Trump’s tariff agenda, but to outlast it. These measures are not an aberration, but part of a broader, structural shift toward economic nationalism and transactional globalism.
The international response must be just as structural grounded in resilience, fairness, and shared sovereignty.
Economic coercion by any single power can only succeed if the rest of the world remains divided. A coordinated, future-focused response can transform this disruption into a catalyst for reform.
With unified action from the EU, China, Africa, and the Global South, the world can uphold a stable, rules-based trade order—one that protects shared prosperity in the face of protectionist tides.
The writer is a journalist and communications consultant.
