{"id":69387,"date":"2025-05-01T09:22:49","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T09:22:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/all-news\/business-eswatini-engages-us-embassy-on-trade-tariffs-and-future-partnerships"},"modified":"2025-05-01T09:22:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T09:22:49","slug":"business-eswatini-engages-us-embassy-on-trade-tariffs-and-future-partnerships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/all-news\/business-eswatini-engages-us-embassy-on-trade-tariffs-and-future-partnerships","title":{"rendered":"BUSINESS ESWATINI ENGAGES US EMBASSY ON TRADE, TARIFFS, AND FUTURE PARTNERSHIPS"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Eswatini. <\/strong><\/span><b>Business Eswatini (BE) recently held a follow-up engagement with Allen Hodges of the US Embassy with Carly Van Orman accompanied by Dumisani Dlamini, building on previous discussions to strengthen trade relations, address pressing tariff concerns, and explore new opportunities for Eswatini\u2019s private sector. The meeting underscored BE\u2019s role as a key advocate for its members in navigating global economic shifts while fostering strategic partnerships. Present in the meeting were the BE President \u2013 Mvuselelo Fakudze, BE CEO \u2013 E.Nathi Dlamini, BE Head of Trade and Commerce \u2013 Musa Maseko and the BE Communications and Marketing team.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>A key focus of the discussion was the recent US-imposed <b>10% minimum reciprocal tariffs<\/b> on select products, including steel and aluminium. While sugar is not currently exempt, BE emphasized the potential impact on Eswatini\u2019s exports, particularly given the country\u2019s inordinate reliance on the <b>SACU revenue pool<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>The BE CEO appealed for increased sugar export quotas, highlighting Eswatini\u2019s unique position and the mutual benefits of sustained trade with the US.<\/p>\n<p>The BE President noted that unlike many other countries the US enjoys a trade surplus with Eswatini, thanks to long-standing partnerships with entities like Coca-Cola, DD Williamson and others. Imposing tariffs could reduce this surplus, harming both economies.<\/p>\n<p>Hodges clarified that the tariffs are not meant to be punitive but aimed at revenue generation and to level the imbalances of international trading landscape. He therefore encouraged patience as the US engages in further dialogue particularly with affected nations.<\/p>\n<p>Strengthening Women and Youth Empowerment Programs<\/p>\n<p>The meeting also explored synergies between BE\u2019s Business Women Eswatini (BWE) initiative and US programs such as:<\/p>\n<p>Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE)<\/p>\n<p>Youth Business Accelerator \u2013 Supporting the next generation of leaders<\/p>\n<p>American Corners \u2013 Offering resources for skills development in Mbabane, Manzini, and Nhlangano<\/p>\n<p>BE expressed interest in collaborating on digital economy initiatives and TVET programs, aligning with government efforts to boost technical skills.<\/p>\n<p>Looking Ahead: A Commitment to Continued Engagement<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Hodges reaffirmed the US Embassy\u2019s dedication to ongoing dialogue, ensuring BE remains informed on developments that affect Eswatini\u2019s private sector. Important to note was the introduction of the new US Embassy to Eswatini Public Affairs Officer \u2013 Ms. Carly Van Orman. This is was regarded with appreciation by BE as it comes at a time when there is need for a dedicated source of information within the US Embassy to provide enlightenment on the on-going US developments. The BE President emphasized that the US, as a critical partner, appreciates the Embassy\u2019s transparency in guiding businesses through evolving trade policies.<\/p>\n<p>This engagement highlighted BE\u2019s proactive approach in:<\/p>\n<p>Advocating for favourable trade terms (e.g., sugar quotas, AGOA utilization, etc)<\/p>\n<p>Facilitating access to US-backed empowerment programs for women and youth<\/p>\n<p>Providing clarity on global economic shifts to help businesses adapt<\/p>\n<p>BE will continue working closely with the US Embassy to explore exemptions, partnerships, and opportunities that drive inclusive economic growth. As they always say that gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy, BE would therefore like to extend their most sincere thanks to the US embassy to engage with BE and the Private Sector even on demand.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For More News And Analysis About <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Eswatini<\/span> Follow <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Eswatini. Business Eswatini (BE) recently held a follow-up engagement with Allen Hodges of the US Embassy with Carly Van Orman accompanied by Dumisani Dlamini, building on previous discussions to strengthen trade relations, address pressing tariff concerns, and explore new opportunities for Eswatini\u2019s private sector. The meeting underscored BE\u2019s role as a key advocate [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":69386,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5,7],"tags":[249],"class_list":["post-69387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-economy","category-head-lines","tag-eswatini"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>BUSINESS ESWATINI ENGAGES US EMBASSY ON TRADE, TARIFFS, AND FUTURE PARTNERSHIPS - Eswatini<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/eswatini\/all-news\/business-eswatini-engages-us-embassy-on-trade-tariffs-and-future-partnerships\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BUSINESS ESWATINI ENGAGES US EMBASSY ON TRADE, TARIFFS, AND FUTURE PARTNERSHIPS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Africa-Press &#8211; Eswatini. Business Eswatini (BE) recently held a follow-up engagement with Allen Hodges of the US Embassy with Carly Van Orman accompanied by Dumisani Dlamini, building on previous discussions to strengthen trade relations, address pressing tariff concerns, and explore new opportunities for Eswatini\u2019s private sector. 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