Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
MASERU, Lesotho, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) — The U.S. tariff regime is unfair to developing countries like Lesotho and has dealt a heavy blow to the country's textile industry, Lesotho Minister of Trade, Industry, Business Development and Tourism Moketi Shelile said in a recent interview with Xinhua.
Services such as Microsoft licences, for which Lesotho pays millions of dollars annually, have been ignored by Washington, he said, pointing out that some US goods enter Lesotho via South Africa and are wrongly not included in import data.
The U.S. tariff policy, which focuses on the export and import of goods, has been criticized for ignoring the services that the U.S. exports to other countries. The U.S. economy is largely based on the service sector.
Lesotho, which is listed as one of the world's least developed countries by the United Nations, is one of Africa's largest exporters of clothing to the United States. The country's textile industry remains a key pillar of the economy and a major source of formal employment, providing about 40,000 jobs, according to the International Organization of Employers.
M. Shelile warned that layoffs caused by US tariffs could have a negative impact on sectors such as transportation and real estate, potentially undermining social stability.
Lesotho declared a national disaster last month due to “high youth unemployment and job losses” caused by U.S. tariff hikes. The country has been struggling with poverty and high unemployment, with youth unemployment reported to have risen to 48 percent.
According to M. Shelile, the unilateral imposition of discriminatory tariffs by the United States “disrupts global supply chains and forces African countries to negotiate /in/ blocs.”
He said the country had made a formal request to lift or reduce US tariffs. The minister added that since Washington insists on negotiating with sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa, as a single bloc, negotiations can only be conducted indirectly at this stage.
“We are making every effort to protect our national interests, but the prospects for the upcoming tariff policy remain uncertain,” he concluded. –0–
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