The United States (U.S) has officially introduced a 12.5% tariff on imports from Nigeria, escalating global trade regulations.
The new 12.5% tariff on Nigeria is part of the move by the administration of U.S President Donald Trump.
It was gathered that the move is aimed at penalizing nations that have failed to adequately ban goods produced through forced labour from their supply chains.
Taking effect immediately, the newly announced trade measures by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) target 60 economies worldwide. The tariffs are designed to force global compliance with ethical labor standards, reshaping international commerce in the process.
Following a comprehensive five-month investigation launched in May 2026 under Section 301 of the Trade Act, the U.S. government determined that the existence of forced labour in global supply chains creates an unfair economic advantage.
The USTR’s investigation involved:
- Over 1,600 written submissions from various stakeholders.
- Testimonies from more than 100 witnesses during public hearings.
- Consultations with over 45 foreign governments.
The U.S explicitly cited Nigeria’s “failure to impose and effectively enforce a forced labour import prohibition” as an unreasonable burden on U.S commerce.
The U.S. has adopted a two-tiered penalty system based on a country’s commitment to eradicating forced labour. Nations like Nigeria that lack effective legal prohibitions face a steeper 12.5% tariff.
Meanwhile, countries that have either implemented or formally committed to enforcing bans on forced labour imports are subject to a lower 10% tariff.
The new 12.5% tariff against Nigeria was announced in a statement posted on the website of the Office of the United States (U.S) Trade Representative.
The statement reads: “10 percent is the appropriate rate of Section 301 duties for investigated economies that (i) impose a forced labor 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 labor goods.
“These economies are: Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom.
“10 percent or 12.5 percent, net of Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) rate, is the appropriate rate of Section 301 duties for certain products of the European Union, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Switzerland that are not otherwise exempted, as explained in greater detail in the Federal Register Notice.”
It added that “12.5 percent is the appropriate rate of Section 301 duty for all other investigated economies.”
Specifically on Nigeria, a Federal Register notice obtained from the USTR on Friday stated that the country would be subjected to a 12.5 per cent tariff on its products, except for items listed under specified exemptions.
It read, “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 measure comes after President Donald Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a temporary universal tariff on imports after the U.S Supreme Court blocked his administration’s broader tariff plan under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
U.S Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the action was aimed at encouraging 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 products, including raw materials that could create domestic supply shortages, goods that could 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.
It added that further exemptions were granted where the tariffs were deemed unlikely to eliminate the trade practices under investigation.
