The United States has imposed a 12.5 percent tariff on imports from Nigeria, citing the country’s failure to ban goods produced with forced labour.
The measure, announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative on Thursday, targets Nigeria and dozens of other trading partners as part of a broader investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act.
It 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.” Several nations that have taken steps to address the issue, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and the United Kingdom, face a lower 10 percent rate
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer defended the action as necessary to combat persistent exploitation in global supply chains.
“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 tariffs follow a May 2026 investigation that gathered over 1,600 written submissions, public hearings with more than 100 witnesses, and consultations with dozens of governments.
Certain Nigerian products are exempted, including raw materials that could cause supply shortages or economic disruptions in the US. The duties are designed to pressure countries into stronger enforcement against forced labour practices.
A Federal Register notice specified that the 12.5 percent rate on Nigerian goods aims “to obtain the elimination of the acts, policies, and practices determined to be actionable in the investigation.”
