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'How will we survive?' Lesotho factory that made Trump golf shirts hit hard by US tariffs

July 28, 2025

A garment factory in Lesotho that produces Trump-branded golf shirts faces possible closure due to 50% reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US government in April, which are currently paused but may be reimposed on August 1. Workers like Aletta Seleso, who supports her family on $160 monthly, have been reduced to half-time work while the factory contemplates shutdown. Lesotho's textile industry, once the country's largest private employer providing 50,000 jobs, has declined to around 36,000 jobs with 12,000 directly affected by the US tariffs.

Who is affected

  • Garment factory workers like Aletta Seleso and other employees at Precious Garments
  • Approximately 12,000 textile workers directly affected by the US tariffs
  • Unemployed job seekers like Puleng Selane
  • 1,000 employees at TZICC who have been laid off for four months
  • Lesotho's population of two million, especially young people facing 50% unemployment rates
  • Garment manufacturers including Precious Garments, CGM, and TZICC
  • US retail brands that source from Lesotho (Levi's, Wrangler, JC Penney, Walmart, Costco)

What action is being taken

  • Lesotho has declared a national "state of disaster" to speed up job creation
  • Precious Garments has reduced workers to half-time (two weeks per month)
  • The Lesotho government is working to shift production toward the South African market
  • TZICC has temporarily laid off 1,000 workers for four months
  • Workers are appealing to the government to engage with the US to find a solution
  • Youth activists like Tšolo Thakeli are criticizing the government's response

Why it matters

  • The textile industry is Lesotho's largest private sector employer, providing around 36,000 jobs
  • Workers support extended families on their factory incomes
  • Unemployment in Lesotho already stands at 30% overall and nearly 50% for young people
  • Lesotho has become known as the "denim capital of Africa" with its garment industry being a rare economic bright spot
  • The tariffs threaten to end benefits from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) that had previously allowed duty-free access to US markets
  • Factory closures would worsen the already "tragic" unemployment situation in the country

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC