The Southern African Development Community (SADC) says the reciprocal tariffs imposed by the U.S. nullify the benefits member states had under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
SADC is the latest to react to the tariff increment by U.S. President Donald Trump.
SADC member states, except Seychelles and Zimbabwe, currently enjoy duty-free access to the U.S. market under the U.S.'s AGOA.
The current term of AGOA is due to expire by the end of September this year.
SADC announced that it would carry out a detailed assessment of the impact of the U.S. measures on trade with the region.
The assessment is expected to be reviewed by relevant ministers during the forthcoming meetings of the Committee of Ministers of Trade and the Ministerial Task Force on Regional Integration in June 2025.
These will then be recommended to the Council of Ministers meeting in August 2025 for decisions to be taken as a collective response by SADC member states.
Lesotho has been hit with the highest reciprocal tariff of 50%, followed by the 47% applied to imports from Madagascar and Mauritius, with 40%.
The rest of the affected SADC member states have been slapped with below 40%.
The Trump administration has announced a list of exempted products.
However, products such as textiles and clothing, which are amongst those exported to the U.S. by SADC countries, are not on the exemption list.
Individual countries in the region had called for dialogue and other responses with the U.S. government, including Lesotho, which had sent a delegation to Washington for talks.
South Africa says it would not retaliate against the 33%, calling for a strategic approach, while Namibia, slapped with 21%, wants a balanced response through the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
Namibia and its neighbour, South Africa, charge 42% and 60% tariffs, respectively, for imports from the USA.
Zimbabwe has since announced that it would suspend 35% tariffs on goods it imports from the US, though it had been hit with an 18% tariff hike.
Zimbabwe says the move to suspend the tariffs was meant to build a positive relationship with the U.S., with President Emmerson Mnangagwa expressing hope that the Trump administration would lift sanctions long imposed on the country.
SADC had reiterated adherence to multilateral trade rules and fair competition administered as by the World Trade Organisation.