How tariffs have hit the African factory where Trump golf shirts are made

A factory in Lesotho that once produced Donald Trump’s golf shirts is now struggling to stay afloat, after the US President imposed a steep 50 per cent tariff on the small African nation.

The new tariffs, part of Trump’s wider "reciprocal trade policy" introduced in April 2025, have hit Lesotho’s once-thriving textile industry hard. The trade war may have made little noise in Washington, but in this impoverished landlocked country, where textiles are a lifeline, the impact has been devastating.

From massive layoffs to factory shutdowns, the fallout has hit thousands of workers, mostly women, with the future of Lesotho’s biggest export industry now hanging in the balance.

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Here’s what’s happening on the ground.

Lesotho’s garment industry on the brink

Tzicc, one of the biggest textile factories in Lesotho , was once a major exporter to major US retailers like Levi’s, Walmart, JC Penney, and Costco. Today, the factory is struggling to survive.

“As soon as the tariffs were announced, we started having some problems with our buyers,” Rahila Omar, compliance manager at Tzicc, told The Africa News. “So, as soon as the three-month suspension came, that’s when we decided to finish the work as quickly as possible before the new tariffs are introduced.”

The small southern African nation, nicknamed the “denim capital of Africa”, was hit with steep 50 per cent reciprocal tariffs by US President Donald Trump in April 2025, the highest rate imposed on any country.
Although the tariffs are temporarily suspended, Trump warned they could return on August 1, unless a new trade deal is reached.

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But for local manufacturers, the impact has been immediate and overwhelming.

“Because of the… pressure of the tariffs, our buyers wanted us to finish the order or the quantity as soon as we can. We were given a deadline of 30 June, but we finished before 30 June, and that’s why we have a layoff,” says Omar.

Tzicc has already laid off most of its 1,300 workers with no new orders coming in from the US.

‘We are going to die’: Workers left in despair

The situation has left thousands of workers, many of them women, in limbo.

“Life is difficult. It has not been easy ever since I was laid off,” said Mapontso Mathunya, a former textile worker, in an interview with AP. “My husband is also struggling—he’s only getting by on occasional odd jobs.”

Other factories across Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, are in similar trouble. Leo Garments, Maseru-E-Textile, and Precious Garments have either shut down or significantly cut staff. Many have entered three-month production freezes due to the collapse in US demand.

“We don’t know how we survive this one. We are going to die,” said Aletta Seleso to the BBC, standing outside Precious Garments. She has worked there for nearly a decade, supporting her extended family and young child on a modest monthly wage of $160 (Rs 13,994).

Lesotho’s garment sector employs around 30,000 people, with about 12,000 specifically producing apparel for US brands. In 2024, the country exported $237 million worth of goods to the US, while importing just $2.8 million, according to AGOA’s official trade data.

Since 2000, AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) has offered tariff-free access for African goods to the US, helping Lesotho build a thriving garment export industry that contributes nearly 20 per cent of the country’s GDP.

Ntsoaki Heqoa, a 19-year-old tuckshop worker, said she once admired Donald Trump, having seen him on TV. But the tariffs have changed her opinion.

“If only he knew how many of us depend on America… can we offer him something to stop whatever he’s doing?” she wondered aloud in an interview with the BBC.

Her friend, Mapaseka Mohale, added simply, “We are going to die, because we don’t have food. We depend on factories.”

In early July, with the garment industry teetering, the Lesotho government declared a national state of disaster, aiming to accelerate job creation and prevent deeper economic fallout.

But many believe not enough is being done. Youth activist Tsolo Thakeli criticised the response, telling the BBC: “There’s nothing tangible that the government has done or set to address the problem. [It’s just] empty promises.”

But why did Lesotho become a target in the first place?

Trump’s administration claimed the 50 per cent tariffs, announced in April 2025, were a response to trade imbalances, despite Lesotho being a tiny economy in comparison to the US.

The tariff formula was widely criticised by economists as “idiotic” and poorly thought out.

“Lesotho is a very small economy. The trade deficit that exists between Lesotho and the US is natural… and certainly cannot be bridged by imposing tariffs,” Mokhethi Shelile, Lesotho’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Small Business, told Africa News.

He argued that tariffs would only make it harder for Lesotho to earn foreign exchange, money it needs to buy goods from the US in the first place.

Dr Ratjomose Machema, an economics lecturer at the National University of Lesotho, agreed: “I don’t understand how this is a reciprocal tariff because we really don’t charge that much in tariffs.”

Back on the ground, the uncertainty is taking its toll.

Nthabiseng Khalele, a garment worker, told the BBC, “My hope and wish is that our Prime Minister could somehow reach out to President Trump and ask him to at least show some compassion for Lesotho. If we lose our jobs here, I’m almost certain that many of us will end up sleeping on empty stomachs.”

With input from agencies