The United States has imposed a 12.5% tariff on imports from Nigeria under a new trade policy targeting countries that have not banned goods made with forced labour.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced the measure on Thursday, affecting imports from 60 economies Washington says have failed to prohibit and enforce a ban on forced-labour goods.
Nigeria is among the affected countries, while India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and the United Kingdom face a lower 10% tariff after adopting or committing to such bans.
The decision follows investigations the USTR launched in May 2026 into 60 of America’s largest trading partners under Section 301 of the Trade Act, a law that lets the US impose tariffs on countries found to engage in unfair trade practices.
The agency said it received more than 1,600 written submissions, heard testimony from over 100 witnesses, and consulted more than 45 governments before finalising the measures.
Why Nigeria Faces a Higher Tariff Rate
According to the USTR, countries that have already banned forced-labour imports, or committed to doing so, attract the lower 10% rate.
However, a Federal Register notice confirmed Nigeria would face the 12.5% tariff on its exports to the US, except for products covered under specific exemptions.
The notice stated the rate reflects findings from the investigation, public comments, and advice from the Section 301 Committee, and was set “in accordance with the specific direction of the President.”
The action follows President Donald Trump’s use of Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a temporary universal tariff, after the US Supreme Court blocked his administration’s earlier tariff plan under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
US Trade Chief Defends the New Tariff Policy
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the tariffs are meant to push trading partners toward stronger action 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,” he added.
The USTR said some products are exempt from the tariffs, including raw materials that could cause domestic shortages, goods unavailable from alternative suppliers, and select imports from countries that have adopted forced-labour bans.
Additional exemptions apply where officials determined the tariffs were unlikely to change the practices under investigation.
