The United States has imposed a 12.5 per cent additional tariff on most imports from Nigeria as part of new trade measures targeting countries it says have failed to effectively prohibit goods produced with forced labour from entering their markets.
Naijaonpoint reports that the Office of the United States Trade Representative announced the measures on Thursday, placing different tariff rates on 60 major US trading partners following investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Under the new arrangement, economies considered to have introduced, partially implemented or committed to enforcing restrictions on forced-labour imports will generally face a 10 per cent tariff, while Nigeria and other affected trading partners that do not fall within those categories will attract a 12.5 per cent rate.
The tariffs apply to most imports from the affected economies, although some categories of goods are exempted.
According to the USTR, the investigations examined whether the failure of the affected economies to impose and effectively enforce bans on imports made with forced labour placed an unfair burden on American businesses and workers.
The agency launched investigations into 60 economies on March 12, 2026, before determining on June 2 that the identified practices were actionable under US trade law.
The USTR said its investigative process included two rounds of public hearings, consultations with more than 45 governments and thousands of submissions from interested parties.
Following the proposed tariff measures, the agency said it received and reviewed more than 1,600 written comments before holding another round of public hearings from July 7 to 9, during which more than 100 witnesses testified.
Nigeria was not among the economies identified by the USTR as qualifying for the general 10 per cent rate and will consequently be subject to the 12.5 per cent additional tariff.
17 Economies Get Lower Rate
The USTR said 17 economies qualified for the 10 per cent rate because they had either established restrictions against forced-labour imports, committed to implementing such measures through trade agreements with Washington, or adopted partial regimes aimed at keeping such products out of their markets.
They include Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom.
Different arrangements will apply to certain products from the European Union, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland, where tariff calculations will take existing Most-Favoured-Nation rates into account.
The remaining economies covered by the investigation, including Nigeria, will generally face the 12.5 per cent Section 301 tariff.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the measure was intended to pressure America’s trading partners to strengthen action against forced labour in global supply chains.
“President Trump recognizes that decades of moral suasion have not eradicated forced labor from global supply chains,” Greer said.
He added that Washington believed countries benefiting from access to the US market should adopt and effectively enforce measures preventing forced-labour goods from entering international commerce.
The USTR said the 60 economies covered by the action account for about 99.4 per cent of total US imports.
Some goods will, however, be excluded from the additional tariffs, including informational materials, donations, accompanied baggage and products already subject to certain Section 232 tariffs.
Other exemptions cover selected raw materials and products where additional duties could disrupt domestic US supply or where sufficient alternatives are unavailable.
Below is the full list of countries and territories affected by the new US tariffs:
Algeria – 12.5
Angola – 12.5
Argentina – 10
Australia – 12.5
Bahrain – 12.5
Bangladesh – 10
Brazil – 12.5
Cambodia – 10
Canada – 10
Chile – 12.5
China – 12.5
Colombia – 12.5
Costa Rica – 12.5
Dominican Republic – 12.5
Ecuador – 10
Egypt – 12.5
El Salvador – 10
European Union – 10
Guatemala – 10
Guyana – 12.5
Honduras – 10
Hong Kong – 12.5
India – 10
Indonesia – 10
Iraq – 12.5
Israel – 12.5
Japan – 12.5
Jordan – 10
Kazakhstan – 12.5
Kuwait – 12.5
Libya – 12.5
Malaysia – 10
Mexico – 10
Morocco – 12.5
New Zealand – 12.5
Nicaragua – 12.5
Nigeria – 12.5
Norway – 12.5
Oman – 12.5
Pakistan – 10
Peru – 12.5
Philippines – 12.5
Qatar – 12.5
Russia – 12.5
Saudi Arabia – 12.5
Singapore – 12.5
South Africa – 12.5
South Korea – 12.5
Sri Lanka – 10
Switzerland – 12.5
Taiwan – 10
Thailand – 12.5
The Bahamas – 12.5
Trinidad and Tobago – 10
Turkey – 12.5
United Arab Emirates – 12.5
United Kingdom – 10
Uruguay – 12.5
Venezuela – 12.5
Vietnam – 12.5
