Czech president slams US tariffs during Ghana visit

Czech Republic President Petr Pavel on Tuesday slammed "brutal" US tariffs which were causing havoc all round as he launched a historic trip to Ghana.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Ghanaian President John Mahama in the capital Accra, Pavel called for multilateral negotiations with the United States.

"I think imposing tariffs in such a brutal way really doesn’t help either side," Pavel said.  

"Tariff wars are damaging everyone. Countries .. should first negotiate and only when they are not able to come to an agreement, they can exert some pressure."

Some African countries have been hit harder by tariffs -- ranging from 50 percent for the small African kingdom of Lesotho, a major textile exporter, to 30 percent and above for South Africa, Madagascar and Botswana.

The White House argues the move is aimed at protecting American industries but critics say it risks hitting the poorest nations really hard.

Mahama echoed Pavel’s concerns. 

"We all accepted a rule-based trading system and... it has led to quite significant growth in GDP across the world," Mahama said. 

"It is unfortunate that without resorting to the rules-based system, one country unilaterally decides to increase tariffs across all countries."

Pavel said the tariffs could "easily" destroy the economies of countries such as Lesotho, Cambodia and Laos. 

Pavel’s three-day official visit to Ghana is the first by a Czech head of state in over 60 years.

He said Ghana was a "key partner" in west Africa, noting that bilateral trade between the two countries exceeded $33 million last year -- the second highest in a decade. 

Pavel pledged greater cooperation in food processing, mining, agriculture, healthcare and water purification. The Czech delegation leaves Accra on Thursday.