The heavy tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump are shaking up trade ties between Washington and several African countries, and have raised concerns across the African continent.

Among the African nations hardest hit by the tariffs is Lesotho, a tiny, impoverished mountain kingdom entirely surrounded by South Africa.

Lesotho, a major textile exporter, now faces a 50% levy on its exports to the US — the highest under Trump's new global trade measures.

This high rate is "not based on facts on the ground," and the government is seeking to clarify the situation with Washington, Lesotho's trade minister, Mokhethi Shelile, told DW.

"We have in total about 11 factories that are supplying the American market," he said. "And those companies employ more than 12,000 people which represents about 42% of the total employment in the textile industry in this country."

"We need to urgently travel to the US to engage with its executives and plead our case," Shelile told reporters on Tuesday. "My biggest concern was the immediate closure of factories and job losses."

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