UN Urges Trump to Spare Poorest Nations from Tariffs

The UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has urged President Donald Trump to spare the world’s smallest and poorest countries from punitive “reciprocal” tariffs, warning that such measures could cause significant harm to their economies. In a recent report, the organization identified 28 nations, including Laos, Mauritius, and Myanmar, which face high tariffs, despite contributing little to the US trade deficit. UNCTAD argues that these countries’ small economies, heavily reliant on agricultural exports that the US can’t easily get elsewhere, will not significantly impact US trade. Consequently, the tariffs will only increase consumer prices in the US and undermine the economic development of these nations. The UNCTAD called on the Trump administration to reassess how these countries are treated in trade policies and to consider exempting them from the tariffs.

The Guardian