The United States has imposed a 12.5 per cent tariff on imports from Nigeria as part of new trade measures targeting countries it says have not effectively banned the importation of goods produced through forced labour.
The decision was announced on Thursday by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and affects imports from 60 economies identified as lacking effective measures against forced labour in their supply chains.
According to the USTR, Nigeria will face the 12.5 per cent tariff, while countries including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and the United Kingdom will be subject to a lower 10 per cent tariff after implementing, or committing to implement, restrictions on goods linked to forced labour.
The action follows investigations launched by the USTR in May 2026 under Section 301 of the Trade Act, covering 60 of the United States’ largest trading partners.
The agency said the review included more than 1,600 written submissions, public hearings involving over 100 witnesses, and consultations with more than 45 governments before the tariff decision was announced.
In a Federal Register notice, the USTR stated that Nigeria would be subject to the 12.5 per cent tariff on its exports to the United States, except for products listed under specific exemptions contained in Annex I and Annex II, Part A of the notice.
The agency said the tariff level and exemptions were determined after reviewing public comments, testimony and recommendations from the Section 301 Committee and other advisory bodies, in line with directives from President Donald Trump.
The latest measure follows President Trump’s decision to invoke Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose temporary universal tariffs after the US Supreme Court blocked his administration’s broader tariff plan introduced under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Commenting on the policy, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the tariffs are intended to encourage trading partners to strengthen efforts against forced labour.
The USTR noted that the tariffs will not apply to certain categories of goods, including some raw materials that could create supply shortages, products likely to cause major economic disruptions, goods unavailable in sufficient quantities within the United States or from alternative suppliers, and selected products from countries that have adopted or pledged to implement forced labour import bans. Additional exemptions were also granted where tariffs were considered unlikely to eliminate the trade practices under investigation.
