Hobbled by foreign interventions, political instability, and natural disasters, the former French colony is paralyzed by multiple crises.

Tariffs have been applied over the years to protect homegrown industries and target competitors who are seen as using unfair trade practices. They impose costs on both importers and exporters and had been in decline until the recent U.S.-China trade war.

President Trump has proposed steel and aluminum tariffs, citing U.S. national security interests. Some experts argue that his plan could provoke retaliation from countries like China, or even a trade war.