US imposes 12.5% tariff on Nigeria over failure to enforce import prohibition law
Lagos, July 2026 – The U.S. has imposed 12.5 per cent tariff on Nigeria over failure to stop importation of goods produced with forced labour.
The United States Trade Representative Office (USTR) announced this in a statement posted on its website on Thursday.
It said the tariff affects imports from 60 economies that failed to impose and effectively enforce prohibition of good produced with forced labour.
The office said while Nigeria faces 12.5 per cent tariff, countries like India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and the United Kingdom will 10 per cent tariff because they have implemented, or committed to implementing the import prohibition laws.
It said the tariffs were imposed based on the findings of its investigations into 60 of the United States’ largest trading partners under Section 301 of the Trade Act in May 2026.
The statement reads in parts: “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.
“12.5 percent is the appropriate rate of Section 301 duty for all other investigated economies.
“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.”
