Trump hit the small African kingdom of Lesotho with his highest tariff this week at 50%, fueling urgent efforts by the country to seek a deal, and new trade partners.

US President Donald Trump in March ridiculed Lesotho as a place "nobody has ever heard of" and then this week hit the tiny African kingdom with the highest of his reciprocal trade tariffs for any single nation.

US President Donald Trump imposed a 50% reciprocal tariff on the tiny southern African mountain kingdom of Lesotho, the highest levy for any sovereign nation.

South Africa's rand was hovering near a three-month low on Thursday after being hit by a double-whammy of U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of new and higher tariffs and the passing of a contentious budget vote that has threatened the ruling coalition's future.

President Trump imposed the steepest American tariffs in a century as he steps up his campaign to reshape the global economy. Many African countries have been hit with the so-called reciprocal tariffs including a 31% levy on South Africa and 50% on Lesotho.

President Donald Trump's move to slap a 10% tariff on most goods imported to the United States, as well as much higher levies on dozens of rivals and allies alike, has intensified a global trade war that threatens to stoke inflation and stall growth.

Global stocks fell and government bonds rallied on Thursday after Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs left the world on the brink of a full-blown trade war. The benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 index was down 1.

European shares tumbled on Thursday, notching their biggest daily loss in eight months, on fears an escalating trade war would slam the brakes on economic growth in the wake of hefty tariffs announced by U.

The president has been announcing tariffs for months, but economists see his latest moves as opening salvos in potentially drawn-out tit-for-tats with dozens of countries and countless repercussions.