By Ghazali Ibrahim
In a sweeping trade policy shift, U.S. President Donald Trump has approved a 15% import tariff on Nigeria and several other African countries, including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique, Mauritius, Ghana, Malawi, Lesotho, and Madagascar.
The White House made the announcement on Thursday through an executive order titled “Further Modifying the Reciprocal Tariff Rates.”
The new tariffs are set to take effect from 12:01 a.m. on the effective date outlined in the order, targeting goods “entered for consumption” into the United States.
Other African nations were hit with steeper tariffs: South Africa and Libya face 30%, while Tunisia was issued a 25% levy. Outside Africa, the order also slapped tariffs on key U.S. trade partners, the United Kingdom (10%), India (25%), and Japan (15%).
This move follows a previous April 2, 2025, executive order that introduced a broad global tariff strategy affecting multiple nations, including Nigeria.
Economists, including those at the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, have expressed concern about the implications of the tariffs on Nigeria’s economy, warning of rising costs for exporters and reduced competitiveness of Nigerian goods in U.S. markets.
