The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is bracing for a surge in funding requests from African countries as the ripple effects of President Donald Trump’s latest trade tariffs begin to bite.

The tariffs, which kicked in last week, are already stirring financial pressure across Africa, especially after an earlier freeze on USAID support left many nations exposed.

Speaking in Dakar on Tuesday, Abebe Aemro Selassie, Director of the IMF’s African Department, didn’t hold back on the seriousness of the situation.

“We live in a shock-prone world. The poorest and least resilient countries are increasingly turning to institutions like ours. I don’t rule out more African countries seeking support,” he said.

Selassie compared the current global mood to the uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many smaller economies lost access to international capital.

Now, with trade wars heating up again, he warned that a similar squeeze could hit the continent—only this time with fewer options for outside help.

In 2023 alone, Sub-Saharan Africa sold $29 billion worth of goods to the U.S., making it the region’s biggest buyer after China, the UAE, and India.

But as global demand shrinks and U.S. tariffs climb, cracks are starting to show.

And it’s not just the U.S. pulling back. “This places an even greater responsibility on African nations to come up with strategies to offset these challenges,” Selassie added.

While African countries explore ways to stay afloat, Washington isn’t backing down.

During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, President Trump made it clear he’s not open to pausing the tariffs.

“We’re not looking at that,” he said bluntly, though he also mentioned the U.S. is still open to “fair deals and good deals with every country.”

The tariff war escalated further after Trump slapped an extra 34% “reciprocal” tariff on Chinese goods on April 2.

China responded last Friday with its own 34% tariff on U.S. imports, ignoring Trump’s earlier warning not to retaliate.

Now, another blow could land any moment, as Trump threatens to hit Chinese imports with an additional 50% tariff starting today.

For many African governments, that means more uncertainty ahead, and for the IMF, more countries knocking on its door for help.