Trump now warring poor African nation of Rwanda over USED CLOTHING
https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/12/news/economy/us-trade-fight-rwanda/index.html
Second-hand clothes donated by Americans have sparked a bitter trade dispute between the United States and one of the world's poorest countries.
The obscure conflict is playing out in the apparel markets of Rwanda, where the government has increased import duties on used clothing from the United States from $0.25 to $2.50 per kilogram.
The tax hikes, which were imposed in 2016, are designed to encourage domestic clothing production in a country that still bears the scars of a horrific genocide 24 years ago. But they have provoked a backlash from the Trump administration.
Used clothes, many of which start as US charity donations, have long been a staple of wardrobes in Rwanda. Yet their abundance and popularity have stalled development in the local clothing industry.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has said the duties are needed to boost local producers and prevent his country from being used as a "dumping ground" for used American clothes. He has proposed banning imports by 2019.
The restrictions have upset traders in the United States.
The Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association, which represents companies that sell used and recycled clothing, filed a complaint with the US government in 2017 arguing that the trade barriers put thousands of American jobs at risk.
Following a review, the Office of the United States Trade Representative warned in March that it would suspend some benefits that Rwanda had under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which allows sub-Saharan African countries to export to the United States without facing tariffs. Rwanda would, for example, lose the right to export duty-free apparel to the United States.
"The President's determinations underscore his commitment to enforcing our trade laws and ensuring fairness in our trade relationships," Deputy U.S. Trade Representative C.J. Mahoney said in March.
Rwanda, which was given 60 days to roll back the restrictions, refused to budge.