The United States has imposed a new 12.5% tariff on imports from Nigeria as part of a broader trade action targeting 60 economies accused of failing to effectively prohibit and enforce bans on goods produced with forced labour.
The measure, announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), takes effect as a temporary 10% global tariff introduced earlier by the Trump administration expires. The new duties are imposed under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974, following investigations into the forced labour policies of the affected trading partners.
According to the USTR, Nigeria is among 54 economies found to have failed to impose and effectively enforce prohibitions on the importation of goods produced with forced labour.
“The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labor is unacceptable. This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said.
The 12.5% tariff applies to most Nigerian exports entering the U.S., although several products—including oil and gas, fertilisers and certain food items—are exempt from the additional duties. The action is part of a wider U.S. trade policy affecting nearly all imports from the 60 targeted economies.
The Trump administration said the tariffs are intended to address what it considers unfair trade practices linked to inadequate enforcement of forced labour bans. U.S. officials argued that countries with weaker enforcement frameworks create an unfair competitive advantage for producers using goods made with forced labour.
The policy has, however, drawn criticism from several trading partners and trade experts, who argue that the tariffs could disrupt global supply chains and further strain international trade relations. Some governments have rejected the allegations, insisting they have taken steps to combat forced labour within their jurisdictions.
For Nigeria, the new tariff is expected to increase the cost of non-oil exports entering the U.S. market, potentially affecting the competitiveness of Nigerian goods and exporters seeking greater access to one of the country’s major export destinations.
