U.S. President Donald Trump has announced sweeping new tariffs on exports from 69 countries; in a move he says is aimed at addressing what he has declared a national emergency tied to economic and security concerns.

Under the directive, which takes effect in seven days, goods from the targeted countries will face increased import duty rates ranging from 10 percent to as high as 41 percent. Trump said the decision follows what he described as failed or inadequate negotiations with several trading partners.

“In light of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14257, I have determined it necessary and appropriate to impose additional ad valorem duties on goods from certain trading partners,” Trump said in a statement.

He further argued that while some countries had engaged in talks with the U.S., their proposals failed to address longstanding trade imbalances. “The terms offered by some of these partners do not, in my judgment, sufficiently resolve the inequities in our trading relationship,” he added.

Uganda is the only East African nation included on the list and will now face a 15 percent tariff on its exports to the U.S. Other African countries subject to the same 15 percent duty include Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

On the continent, the steepest penalties are aimed at South Africa, Algeria, and Libya, each hit with a 30 percent tariff. Tunisia follows with a 25 percent rate.

Beyond Africa, several other nations are facing even higher rates. Syria tops the list with a 41 percent tariff, followed closely by Laos and Myanmar at 40 percent. Switzerland will see a 39 percent duty, while Iraq and Serbia have been slapped with 35 percent tariffs. Bosnia and Herzegovina joins the upper tier with a 30 percent rate.

President Trump emphasized that all other countries not mentioned in the new order will still face a uniform 10 percent U.S. import tax going forward.

The move is expected to provoke strong reactions from global trade partners and could further strain Washington’s diplomatic and economic relations across several regions.