The recent tariff wars, ignited by President Trump after he returned to the White House in January 2025, have raised several important questions for Africa, especially in the arena of trade and tariffs and their impact on the continent’s economic development. Such questions include, among others: What will define Africa’s place in the global trading system over the next generation? Can trade and tariff regimes accelerate inclusive development, or do they reproduce structural inequalities? How should African economies navigate an era of shifting global power, contested multilateralism, and renewed protectionism? What forms of trade governance will define the future of development across the continent and beyond? In June 2026, the Collaborative Research Groups on Governance, Entrepreneurship, and Inclusive Development (GEID) and Africa in the World- Rethinking Africa’s Global Connections, both at the African Studies Centre, Leiden University, will host a high-level international conference on Trade, Tariffs, and Development in Africa. The event will gather top scholars, policymakers, practitioners, diplomats, journalists, investors, students, and representatives of regional and global organizations to discuss the above issues.