Geneva, April 15 -- In a new report released on April 14, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is amping up calls that the poorest and most vulnerable economies be exempt from "reciprocal tariffs."

Such tariffs, currently on pause for 90 days, were calculated at rates to balance bilateral merchandise trade deficits between the United States and 57 of its trading partners, which range from 11 per cent for Cameroon to 50 per cent for Lesotho.

The report, entitled "Escalating tariffs: The impact on small and vulnerable economies", finds that in many cases, reciprocal tariffs risk devastating developing and least developed economies, without significantly reducing US trade deficits or increasing revenue collection.

The 57 trading partners con...