The United States has imposed a 12.5 per cent tariff on imports from Nigeria as part of a new trade measure targeting countries it says have failed to effectively prohibit the importation of goods produced using forced labour.
Nigeria is among 60 economies affected by the new tariffs announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on Thursday.
The USTR said the targeted countries had not “imposed and effectively enforced a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour”.
While Nigeria will face a 12.5 per cent tariff, countries including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and the United Kingdom will be subjected to a lower 10 per cent rate after implementing or committing to introduce restrictions on imports associated with forced labour.
The measure followed investigations launched by the USTR in May 2026 into 60 of America’s major trading partners under Section 301 of the Trade Act.
The agency said it received more than 1,600 written submissions, conducted public hearings involving over 100 witnesses and consulted more than 45 governments during the investigation.
According to the USTR, countries that have already implemented, or committed to implementing, prohibitions on forced labour imports will attract a 10 per cent tariff.
It said a 12.5 per cent tariff was considered appropriate for other investigated economies that had failed to introduce effective measures against the importation of goods produced through forced labour.
A Federal Register notice obtained from the USTR on Friday specifically confirmed that Nigerian products would be subject to the 12.5 per cent tariff, except for items covered by specified exemptions.
The notice stated that the decision was reached after considering public comments, testimony, recommendations from the Section 301 Committee and advice from relevant advisory committees.
The USTR said the tariffs were designed to encourage countries to eliminate policies and practices considered actionable under the investigation.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the move was intended to persuade America’s trading partners to strengthen their efforts 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 latest action comes after President Donald Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to introduce a temporary universal tariff on imports, following a US Supreme Court decision blocking his administration’s broader tariff programme under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
However, the USTR said the new tariffs would not apply to certain categories of products, including raw materials whose import restrictions could trigger domestic shortages.
Other exemptions cover goods that could cause economy-wide disruptions, products unavailable in sufficient quantities in the United States or alternative markets, and selected goods from countries that have adopted or pledged to implement forced labour import bans.
Additional exemptions were also granted in cases where the USTR determined that imposing tariffs was unlikely to eliminate the trade practices under investigation.
