By Moses Magadza

WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA – The Kingdom of Lesotho’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mokhethi Shelile, has advocated for a radical reimagining of global trade, warning that the recent imposition of reciprocal tariffs by the United States threatens to unravel years of progress in inclusive trade across the Southern African region.

Speaking at the High-Level Dialogue on Trade Justice held in Sandton, South Africa, Mr Shelile warned that the new U.S. tariffs, among them a 10% blanket duty on all imports, signal “a deepening economic nationalism and a widening chasm between the Global North and the aspirations of our people in the Global South.”

“These tariffs threaten to undo years of progress toward inclusive and sustainable trade in our region,” the Minister cautioned, addressing the gathering of policy makers, academics, civil society actors and parliamentarians.

The Minister highlighted how Lesotho’s economy, particularly its women-dominated textile sector, is poised to be negatively impacted.

“In Lesotho, over 80% of apparel exports to the United States are channelled through AGOA. Thousands of women in the textile sector risk job losses if these trade disruptions continue. This is not theory. This is livelihood, dignity, and survival,” he said.

The Minister argued that the tariffs crisis presented an opportunity to redefine trade itself, not just its terms but its purpose.

“For too long, Africa’s integration into global markets has been shaped by extractive models that export raw materials, import finished goods, and leave our people, especially women, excluded from value chains,” he said.

He added, “We must transition from being exporters of labour and materials to producers of prosperity, especially for our women and youth.”

Citing feminist scholar Dr. Amina Mama, he reminded delegates that “development cannot be sustainable if it ignores the structures of inequality. Trade is no exception.”

The Minister called for renewed commitment to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He said it should be seen not merely as a technical agreement, but as a transformative social compact.

“AfCFTA must be about women-led enterprises, informal economy workers, and ecologically sustainable production,” he stated adding, “Lesotho is currently developing an implementation strategy that prioritizes women traders, MSMEs, and green industrialisation.”

He urged regional collaboration to monitor AfCFTA outcomes through a gender-sensitive lens and cautioned that the agreement must not reproduce the same hierarchies of exclusion that have long plagued global trade.

With AGOA set to expire in September 2025, the Minister highlighted the need for a united African position that transcends dependence on preferential trade.

“While AGOA has opened export opportunities, it has also reinforced dependencies. We must ask: what comes next? We need a bold African position, not just on AGOA renewal but on the kind of trade regime we want.”

He advocated for trade policies grounded in feminist political economy, Afro-ecofeminism, and Pan-African sovereignty.

“Trade must work for people, not profits. Trade must nourish communities, not deplete ecosystems. Trade must empower women, not entrench patriarchy.”

The Minister outlined Lesotho’s commitments to the cause of trade justice: integrating equity and ecological principles into national trade policy;  ensuring women cross-border traders participate in policy-making and negotiations; partnering with SADC PF to reinforce regional parliamentary oversight of trade; and supporting a Regional Trade Justice Framework that reflects the needs of women, youth and marginalised communities.

Quoting environmental icon Wangari Maathai, the Minister said: “In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness. That time is now.”

-Moses Magadza is the Media and Communications Manager at the SADC PF.