By Ghazali Ibrahim
The United States has imposed a 12.5 per cent tariff on imports from Nigeria under a new trade policy targeting countries it says have failed to effectively prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labour.
The measure, announced on Thursday by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), affects imports from 60 economies investigated under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act.
According to the USTR, Nigeria will face a 12.5 per cent tariff on its exports to the United States, except for products covered by specified exemptions.
Countries such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and the United Kingdom will instead face a lower 10 per cent tariff after implementing or committing to enforce bans on imports linked to forced labour.
The USTR said the decision followed investigations launched in May 2026, during which it received more than 1,600 public submissions, heard testimony from over 100 witnesses and consulted more than 45 governments.
In a Federal Register notice, the agency said the tariff imposed on Nigeria was based on the findings of its investigation and was intended to eliminate trade practices deemed actionable under U.S. law.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the tariffs were designed to encourage trading partners to strengthen measures against forced labour.
“President Trump recognises that decades of moral suasion have not eradicated forced labour from global supply chains,” Greer said.
“The United States has had a forced labour import ban for nearly a century. It’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same.”
The tariffs will not apply to certain exempted products, including some raw materials, goods considered critical to U.S. supply chains, products unavailable in sufficient quantities domestically, and selected imports from countries that have adopted or pledged to implement forced labour import bans.
