US imposes 12.5% tariff on Nigerian imports over forced labour concerns

The United States has imposed a 12.5 per cent tariff on imports from Nigeria as part of new trade measures targeting countries it says have failed to ban the importation of goods produced through forced labour.

 

The tariff, announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), affects imports from 60 economies that Washington says have not “imposed and effectively enforced a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour.”

 

Under the new policy, Nigeria is among the countries subject to the 12.5 per cent tariff, while countries including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and the United Kingdom will face a lower 10 per cent tariff after adopting or committing to implement restrictions on imports linked to forced labour.

 

The decision follows investigations launched by the USTR in May 2026 under Section 301 of the US Trade Act into 60 of America’s largest trading partners.

 

According to the agency, the review included more than 1,600 written submissions, public hearings involving over 100 witnesses and consultations with more than 45 governments.

 

In a statement, the USTR said countries that have already implemented, or pledged to implement, effective forced labour import prohibitions would attract a 10 per cent tariff.

 

“12.5 percent is the appropriate rate of Section 301 duty for all other investigated economies,” the agency stated.

 

A Federal Register notice specifically addressing Nigeria said the tariff would apply to Nigerian products except those listed under designated 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 notice added that the tariff rate and scope of exemptions were considered appropriate to address the trade practices identified during the investigation.

 

The latest action comes after President Donald Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose temporary universal tariffs following a US Supreme Court ruling that blocked his administration’s broader tariff plan under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

 

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the measure was intended to encourage stronger action against forced labour in global supply chains.

 

“President Trump recognises that decades of moral suasion have not eradicated forced labour from global supply chains. 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,” Greer said.

 

The USTR said the tariffs would not apply to certain exempted products, including raw materials that could create domestic supply shortages, goods that may cause economy-wide disruptions, products unavailable in sufficient quantities in the United States or from alternative sources, and selected goods from countries that have adopted or pledged to implement forced labour import bans.