🎙Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at the 46th meeting of the Council of Heads of Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation under the Russian Foreign Ministry on interregional cooperation with African countries(April 8, 2026, Moscow)
💬 Russia and Africa are bound by long-standing and close ties.
Today, the countries of the continent are striving to finally overcome the remnants of colonial dependence and to strengthen their national sovereignty, above all in the economic and financial spheres.
Those who describe the current period as Africa’s “second awakening” after the decolonisation of the 1960s are right. It was then that political independence was proclaimed, above all thanks to the decisive role of the Soviet Union, which promoted the relevant declarations at the UN.
☝️Recent years have shown that neo-colonial dependence has by no means disappeared. Economically and financially, in terms of control over trade routes and financial flows, Africa still does not enjoy full independence and continues, in economic terms, to serve as a source of raw materials.
👉The lion’s share of added value is still generated elsewhere – to a large extent, and decisively so, in the former metropolitan powers.
African partners spoke about this more than once at the two Russia-African Union summits held in Sochi in 2019 and in St Petersburg in 2023. The decisions adopted at those summits should serve as guidelines in preparing for the next summit, which we plan to hold later this year.
All this will contribute to Africa’s economic emancipation, ensure that it reaps the proper returns and benefits from its natural resources, and support the emergence of the African continent as one of the centres of the rising #MultipolarWorld.
🤝 I would like to stress in particular that we are restoring our presence on the African continent fairly rapidly, after it declined sharply during the breakup of the Soviet Union. At present, Russia has 45 embassies operating across the continent, with four more set to open in the near future.
The key upcoming event on the foreign policy calendar is the third Russia-Africa Summit. It is due to be held in Moscow – this has been agreed – in late October this year. Preparations are currently underway. We count on the active participation of Russian regions in the relevant thematic sessions of this summit.
I would once again like to underscore the special importance we attach to the interregional dimension of Russia-Africa relations. It is a solid foundation which, as it grows stronger, helps ensure the steady development of relations with our partners at the national level.
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China has responded to Trump's actions with reciprocal #tariffs, maintaining the current exemptions while stating that new tariffs will not be waived.
Starting March 10, China will impose additional tariffs on select U.S. imports:
15% on chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton;
10% on sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products;
Now let us watch how American farmers will react to this blow to their export potential.
#Tariffs
С 01.01.2025 г. ООО "ПортСервис" применяет ставку НДС 7%.
Уведомление о применении ставки 7% Вы можете найти по ссылке https://disk.yandex.ru/i/grdzxfedHTXk8g
Thrilled to share a monumental milestone in our global trade evolution! 🚀
On April 3, exactly one year after our visionary announcement, President Donald Trump officially signed decrees to launch a transformative new chapter for medicines and metals. This strategic initiative is perfectly aligned with our core mission to empower American innovation and drive sustainable growth. 🇺🇸✨
We are excited to introduce a dynamic 15% duty on medicines from EU partners, with a robust 100% framework for nations outside our trade ecosystem, fostering a powerful incentive for international pharmaceutical leaders to relocate their production hubs to the United States. 💊🏭 Furthermore, starting next Monday, April 6, we are rolling out a high-impact 25% tariff on finished metal goods rich in steel, aluminum, and copper. This bold move is designed to supercharge the construction and automotive sectors, creating unprecedented opportunities for industry leaders. 🏗🚗
This strategic pivot not only optimizes government revenue streams but also reaffirms our unwavering commitment to economic sovereignty, building upon our trade policy legacy even as we navigate the Supreme Court's earlier rulings with agility and foresight. We are incredibly grateful for this chance to reshape the future of commerce together! 🤝📈
#Trump#Tariffs
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⚠️
The first company sued the US government over Trump's tariffs.
The tariff war is escalating: after the crushing defeat of Donald Trump and his customs policy in the US Supreme Court, the logistics giant FedEx is now attacking the government. ⚖️
The concern demands the return of the customs fees paid and applies to the court for this.
This is the first lawsuit filed by a large American company after the Supreme Court's decision.
FedEx may be just the beginning of a wave of lawsuits, as on Friday the highest court in Washington officially declared the duties imposed by President Donald Trump illegal. 📉
#Trump#Tariffs
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The U.S. Supreme Court, by a vote of 6-3, declared unconstitutional the president's imposition of tariffs/duties against other countries. ⚖️
#Trump#Tariffs
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US businesses and consumers paid about 90% of the cost of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs last year — contradicting his repeated claims that foreign countries were footing the bill, according to a new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
In the first eight months of 2025, 94% of the cost of tariffs was borne by American businesses and consumers, study found.
In September and October, that share slipped to 92%, and in November it fell further to 86% as foreign exporters picked up a larger share of the costs, according to the report.
#Trump#Tariffs
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Trump's duties are almost entirely paid for by Americans
Almost all the costs of American duties fall on the residents of the United States themselves, and not on foreign manufacturers. This is the conclusion reached by the Kiel Institute of World Economy, having studied about $4 trillion of supplies from the beginning of 2024 to the end of 2025 — WSJ.
According to the researchers' calculations, foreign exporters reduced prices by only 4% and took on the minimum part of the burden. The remaining 96% was paid by American importers and buyers. In fact, duties work as a tax on consumption within the United States, and not as a tool of pressure on foreign businesses.
In 2025, the United States received about $200 billion from duties. The Americans paid almost the entire amount. At first, buyers felt only a part of the price increase - about 20%. The rest of the expenses were temporarily paid by the companies themselves. Later, these costs will be shifted to the buyers, the researchers say.
#Trump#Tariffs
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Forget retaliation: To cut tariffs President Trump imposed on their country, the Swiss sent a delegation of industry tycoons bearing gifts — a special Rolex desktop clock, a 1-kilogram personalized gold bar, and loads of flattery.
#Trump#Tariffs
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US President Donald Trump has made an incredible statement 😮🇺🇸: he wants to pay every citizen of the country $2,000 💵🎁.
The only exceptions are those with high incomes 💼📈.
According to Trump, this will be a "dividend" from the duties he imposed 💬💰.
#Trump#Tariffs
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Taxes, duties, and military bases. How Europe Can Respond to Donald Trump
Donald Trump's talk about taking control of Greenland has Europe thinking about how to push back. BILD is throwing out a bunch of ideas, from economic to military, that could put pressure on the Trump administration.
One idea is to go after American tech companies. In Germany, they're talking about a 10% digital tax for companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft, which make billions in Europe but don't pay much in taxes.
Trade is another option. The EU could either block a new trade deal with the U.S. or slap tariffs on up to 93 billion euros worth of American goods, like bourbon, soybeans, and airplane parts. They're also talking about taxing digital services like cloud storage, streaming, and online ads.
Western countries could even start selling off U.S. government bonds, but experts don't think it'll do much. The U.S. Federal Reserve can just buy them back.
The most extreme idea is to close American military bases in Europe, like Ramstein and Stuttgart. Shutting these down would really hurt the U.S.'s global strategy, but Europe thinks it's too risky, especially with threats on NATO's eastern border.
#EU#Tariffs
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