The United States has imposed a 12.5 per cent tariff on imports from Nigeria under a new trade policy targeting countries that have not effectively banned the importation of goods produced through forced labour.
The tariff applies to imports from 60 economies identified by Washington as failing to enforce prohibitions on products linked to forced labour. The measure was announced on Thursday by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
Nigeria is among the countries facing the 12.5 per cent tariff, while India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and the United Kingdom will be subject to a lower 10 per cent rate after adopting or committing to implement restrictions on imports tied to forced labour.
The action follows investigations launched by the USTR in May 2026 under Section 301 of the Trade Act, covering 60 of the United States’ largest trading partners.
According to the agency, the review attracted more than 1,600 written submissions, public hearings involving over 100 witnesses and consultations with more than 45 governments before the new tariffs were approved.
Explaining the decision, the USTR said countries that have already implemented or committed to enforcing bans on forced labour imports qualify for a 10 per cent tariff.
It stated: “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.”
The agency listed Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom among countries eligible for the lower rate.
It further stated that a 12.5 per cent tariff “is the appropriate rate of Section 301 duty for all other investigated economies.”
A Federal Register notice issued by the USTR confirmed that Nigeria would be subject to the 12.5 per cent tariff on its exports to the United States, except for products covered by specified exemptions.
The notice 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.”
It added that the tariff structure and exemptions were designed to address the trade practices identified during the investigation.
The latest action follows President Donald Trump’s decision to invoke Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 after the US Supreme Court blocked his administration’s wider tariff plan under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the measure is intended to encourage trading partners to strengthen efforts 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 will not apply to selected products, including certain raw materials, goods that could cause supply shortages or major economic disruptions, products unavailable in sufficient quantities in the United States or alternative markets, and some imports from countries that have adopted or pledged to implement forced labour import restrictions.
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