Democracy For Nepal: tariff

Friday, May 09, 2025

The Forgotten Casualties of the Trade War: Africa and South Asia Deserve a Fair Shot

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The Forgotten Casualties of the Trade War: Africa and South Asia Deserve a Fair Shot

In the escalating tensions of the ongoing trade war, headlines are dominated by the rivalry between two global titans—China and the United States. The world watches as tariffs fly, supply chains reorganize, and multilateral alliances shift. But amidst this geopolitical chess match, my concern does not lie with Washington or Beijing. I am not worried about the future of Silicon Valley or the fate of Shenzhen’s factories. I am worried about something far more fragile, far more urgent: the lives and futures of ordinary people in Africa and South Asia.

Because when giants fight, it's the grass that gets trampled.

Trade has been one of humanity’s most powerful engines for lifting people out of poverty. From the textile boom in Bangladesh to the tech outsourcing revolution in India, from cashew exports in West Africa to flower farms in Kenya—access to global markets has offered millions a ladder out of deprivation. But as tariffs rise and trade corridors shift, the weakest economies stand to lose the most.

Let’s be clear: this is not about defending corrupt regimes or bloated bureaucracies. It’s not about African or South Asian politicians. It’s about the farmer in Bihar who wants to sell mangoes abroad. It’s about the garment worker in Dhaka whose factory order just got canceled. It’s about the Kenyan small business that was finally breaking into international e-commerce—only to be priced out due to shifting regulations or currency volatility sparked by trade battles they had no part in.

These people deserve preferential treatment—not as charity, but as justice. The global trade system should be calibrated to level the playing field, not tilt it further against the most vulnerable. That means granting duty-free access to products from the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). That means supporting infrastructure, financing, and digital access so that small producers can compete. That means acknowledging that "fair trade" must go beyond the powerful negotiating among themselves.

If we are serious about eradicating poverty—truly serious—then we must build a trade architecture that includes and uplifts the poorest. Not just with slogans, but with enforceable commitments. Not just with development aid, but with a real seat at the table.

The poorest of the world do not need protectionism. They need partnership.

And in this trade war, they are the ones who risk losing the most—while having done the least to cause it.

Let’s not forget them.