The United States has lengthened the list of trade penalties against Nigeria by imposing a 12.5 per cent tariff on most Nigerian imports over allegations linked to forced labour. The new measure is part of a wider action against 60 economies that Washington says have not effectively banned the importation of goods produced with forced labour.
The action, taken under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974 by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, USTR, was part of a sweeping measure against 38 economies that the US accused of failing to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour after launching an investigation into 60 economies.
Apart from Nigeria, other African countries affected are Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and South Africa.
The USTR said the affected nations have not put in place or enforced measures strong enough to block goods made with forced labour from entering their markets.
Unlike that broad measure aimed at correcting trade imbalances, the new tariff is targeted specifically at labour-related practices.
According to the USTR, which announced the outcome of its final investigation and decision on Thursday, countries that fail to stop the import of goods produced with forced labour gain an unfair edge by allowing cheaper products to flood global supply chains and argue that this distorts competition and undermines American workers and businesses.
Nigeria is among the countries subject to the 12.5 per cent tariff, while India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and the United Kingdom will face a lower 10 per cent tariff after adopting or committing to implement bans on imports linked to forced labour.
The decision follows investigations launched by the USTR in May 2026 into 60 of the United States’ largest trading partners under Section 301 of the Trade Act.
The agency said it received more than 1,600 written submissions, heard testimony from over 100 witnesses and consulted more than 45 governments before announcing the measures.
According to the USTR, countries that have already implemented, or committed to implementing, forced labour import prohibitions would attract a 10 per cent tariff.
“10 per cent is the appropriate rate of Section 301 duties for investigated economies that (i) impose a forced labour import prohibition; (ii) have committed to impose and enforce such a prohibition through an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade; or (iii) have imposed a partial regime with the effect of preventing the importation of certain forced labour goods,” the agency said.
In a Federal Register notice, the USTR stated that Nigeria would be subject to a 12.5 per cent tariff on its exports to the United States, except for products covered by specified exemptions.
It stated, “Based on the findings in the investigation of Nigeria, considering the public comments, testimony, and the advice of the Section 301 Committee, as well as the advice of advisory committees, and in accordance with the specific direction of the President, the Trade Representative has determined to impose 12.5 percent tariffs on products of Nigeria, except as provided in Annex I and Annex II, Part A, of this Notice.”
“The Trade Representative has determined, in accordance with the specific direction of the President, that the tariff rate to be applied, and the scope of tariffs and exemptions, are appropriate to obtain the elimination of the acts, policies, and practices determined to be actionable in the investigation.”
The latest action comes after President Donald Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a temporary universal tariff on imports following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that blocked his administration’s broader tariff plan under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the new tariffs were intended 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 USTR said the tariffs would not apply to certain exempted products, including raw materials that could create domestic supply shortages, goods capable of causing wider economic disruptions, products unavailable in sufficient quantities in the United States or from alternative suppliers, and selected imports from countries that have adopted or pledged to implement forced labour import bans.
It added that additional exemptions were granted where the tariffs were considered unlikely to eliminate the trade practices under investigation.
