By Mary Onyia
The United States has imposed a 12.5. 5 percent tariff on imports from Nigeria under a new trade enforcement policy targeting countries that Washington says have failed to establish effective measures to block goods produced with forced labor. The decision, announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), forms part of a broader Section 301 trade action covering 60 economies and aims to encourage trading partners to strengthen laws against forced labor in global supply chains.
The USTR said countries with comprehensive bans on forced labor imports, or those that have committed to implementing and enforcing such prohibitions through reciprocal trade agreements, will be subject to a lower 10 percent tariff. Nigeria was placed in the higher tariff category after the agency concluded it does not currently maintain what the US considers an effective prohibition on the importation of goods made with forced labor. Countries benefiting from the lower rate include Canada, the United Kingdom, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
According to the USTR, the decision followed Section 301 investigations launched in May 2026, during which it received more than 1, 600 written submissions, heard testimony from over 100 witnesses, and consulted representatives of more than 45 governments. A Federal Register notice confirmed that Nigerian exports will be subject to the 12.5. 5 percent tariff, except for products specifically exempted under the directive, stating that the rate and exemptions were appropriate to address the trade practices identified during the investigation.
The latest action follows President Donald Trump’s use of Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose temporary universal tariffs after a Supreme Court ruling blocked his broader tariff program. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the measure reflects Washington’s resolve to pressure trading partners to adopt stronger safeguards against forced labor, adding that while the US has enforced an import ban on such goods for nearly a century, several categories of products, including critical raw materials and goods essential to US supply chains, will remain exempt from the new tariffs.