Country exposure · SC

Seychelles
Africa · Victoria · presidential republic
What Seychelles means for your money — the prices you pay, the tariffs in motion, and where U.S. policy could change both.

$4M
U.S. imports, 2025
-39.4%
change in one year
$20M
U.S. exports, 2025
98K
Population
$2.2B
GDP
In your house
What you buy that Seychelles makes
America bought $4M in goods from Seychelles in 2025 — down 39.4% in a single year. Of every $100 of it, here's where the money went.
U.s. goods returned, and reimports
Fish and shellfish
fish, shrimp, shellfish
Electric apparatus
Materials handling equipment
Industrial engines
Numismatic coins
Medicinal equipment
medical devices and equipment
Stereo equipment, etc
speakers and audio equipment
Synthetic cloth
Furniture, household goods, etc.
furniture, mattresses, lamps
2026 so far (through April): $2M in imports. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Trade in Goods (customs basis).
The other direction
What America sells to Seychelles
$20M in 2025 — a trade rupture cuts both ways, for American producers as well as American prices.
Civilian aircraft, engines, equipment, and parts
$6MPleasure boats and motors
$2MIndustrial machines, other
$1MMinimum value shipments
$1MMarine engines, parts
$883KElectric apparatus
$873KPhoto, service industry machinery
$733KMeat, poultry, etc.
$609KFood, tobacco machinery
$502KWhere you stand
U.S. tariff posture toward Seychelles
No U.S. tariff action singles this country out. Its goods face the universal 10% temporary import surcharge under Section 122 of the Trade Act (which replaced the IEEPA reciprocal baseline in February 2026) plus the sectoral Section 232 duties — steel and aluminum at 50% — that apply to all countries. The Section 122 surcharge is statutorily temporary — scheduled to lapse on or about July 23, 2026 (a 150-day cap) unless extended or replaced.
Reciprocal tariff (universal baseline)
10%
The universal 10% floor — a Section 122 import surcharge since February 2026, previously the EO 14257 reciprocal baseline — applies to nearly all U.S. imports. This country has no higher assigned rate of its own.
Policy in motion
Tariff status: a moving target
No U.S. tariff action names Seychelles. These are the universal measures — applied to every country without a country-specific arrangement — that set its treatment.
2026-04-06
Section 232 metals coverage expanded
In effectThe April 2026 proclamation strengthening Section 232 actions on aluminum, steel, and copper expanded derivative-product coverage for all countries, keeping the general metals rate at 50%.
91 FR 18201 →2026-02-24
IEEPA reciprocal tariffs terminated — replaced by 10% Section 122 surcharge
In effectExecutive Order 14389 (Ending Certain Tariff Actions) terminated the IEEPA tariff duties — including the EO 14257 reciprocal baseline — effective February 24, 2026. A flat 10% Section 122 temporary import surcharge (Proclamation 11012 of February 20, 2026) replaced them, leaving the universal rate unchanged at 10% on a different statutory basis. Section 122 caps such surcharges at 150 days, so this 10% surcharge is scheduled to lapse on or about July 23, 2026 absent further action (the administration has signaled it could raise the rate toward the 15% statutory maximum).
91 FR 9437 →2025-11-13
Agricultural products exempted from reciprocal tariffs
In effectExecutive Order 14360 of November 14, 2025 removed reciprocal duties from certain agricultural products listed in its annexes (coffee, cocoa, bananas, and other goods the U.S. does not produce in sufficient quantity), retroactive to November 13, 2025 — for all countries subject to the reciprocal tariff.
90 FR 54091 →2025-06-04
Section 232 steel and aluminum duties doubled to 50%
In effectThe June 3, 2025 proclamation raised Section 232 duties on steel and aluminum articles and derivatives from 25% to 50% for all countries, effective June 4, 2025.
90 FR 24199 →2025-04-05
Universal 10% reciprocal baseline takes effect
In effectExecutive Order 14257 (signed April 2, 2025) imposed a 10% ad valorem reciprocal duty on imports from all trading partners, effective April 5, 2025. Countries without a higher Annex I rate remain at this baseline.
Federal Register · 2025-06063 →2025-03-12
Section 232 steel and aluminum duties set at 25% for all countries
In effectProclamations of February 10, 2025 terminated all country exemptions and quota arrangements and applied 25% Section 232 duties to steel and aluminum imports from every country, effective March 12, 2025.
90 FR 9817 →
Reference
The country itself
Africa · Geography, people, economy, and government — public-domain data from the CIA World Factbook.
Seychelles was uninhabited before Europeans discovered the islands early in the 16th century. After a lengthy struggle, France eventually ceded control of the islands to Great Britain in 1814. During colonial rule, a plantation-based economy developed that relied on imported labor, primarily from European colonies in Africa. Seychelles gained independence in 1976 through negotiations with Great Britain. In 1977, Prime Minister France-Albert RENE launched a coup against the country’s first president, and Seychelles became a socialist one-party state until adopting a new constitution and holding elections in 1993. RENE continued to lead Seychelles through two election cycles until he stepped down in 2004. Vice President James Alix MICHEL took over the presidency and in 2006 was elected to a new five-year term; he was reelected in 2011 and again in 2015. In 2016, James MICHEL resigned and handed over the presidency to his vice-president, Danny FAURE. In 2020, Wavel RAMKALAWAN was elected president, the first time an opposition candidate has won the presidency.

Geography
- Location
- archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar
- Area
- 455 sq km
- Climate
- tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)
- Terrain
- Mahe Group is volcanic with a narrow coastal strip and rocky, hilly interior; others are relatively flat coral atolls, or elevated reefs; sits atop the submarine Mascarene Plateau
- Natural resources
- fish, coconuts (copra), cinnamon trees
- Coastline
- 491 km
- Natural hazards
- lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; occasional short droughts
People & society
- Population
- 98,187 (2024 est.)
- Nationality
- Seychellois (singular and plural)
- Ethnic groups
- predominantly Creole (mainly of East African and Malagasy heritage); also French, Indian, Chinese, and Arab populations
- Languages
- Seychellois Creole (official) 89.1%, English (official) 5.1%, French (official) 0.7%, other 3.8%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 76.2%, Protestant 10.5% (Anglican 6.1%, Pentecostal Assembly 1.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.2%, other Protestant 1.7%), other Christian 2.4%, Hindu 2.4%, Muslim 1.6%, other non-Christian 1.1%, unspecified 4.8%, none 0.9% (2010 est.)
- Median age
- 39.2 years (2025 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth
- 76.6 years (2024 est.)
Economy
- Economic overview
- high-income Indian Ocean island economy; rapidly growing tourism sector; major tuna exporter; offshore financial hub; environmentally fragile and investing in ocean rise mitigation; recently discovered offshore oil potential; successful anticorruption efforts
- Industries
- fishing, tourism, beverages
- Agricultural products
- coconuts, vegetables, bananas, eggs, chicken, pork, fruits, tomatoes, tropical fruits, cassava (2023)
- Exports - partners
- France 20%, Mauritius 12%, UK 9%, Japan 8%, Italy 8% (2023)
- Imports - partners
- UAE 32%, Spain 10%, France 6%, South Africa 6%, India 6% (2023)
Government
- Government type
- presidential republic
- Capital
- Victoria
- Independence
- 29 June 1976 (from the UK)
- Constitution
- previous 1970, 1979; latest drafted May 1993, approved by referendum 18 June 1993, effective 23 June 1993
- Executive branch
- President Patrick HERMINIE (since 26 October 2025)
- Legislative branch
- National Assembly
Full reference data
Every field, by section — CIA World Factbook. Open a topic to expand it.
Introduction
Travel Facts
Please visit the following links to find further information about your desired destination.
World Health Organization (WHO) - To learn what vaccines and health precautions to take while visiting your destination.
US State Dept Travel Information - Overall information about foreign travel for US citizens.
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Page last updated: Wednesday, July 20, 2022