US imposes 12.5% tariff on Nigerian imports over forced labour concerns

Nigeria has been hit with a 12.5% tariff on exports to the United States, placing it among 38 countries affected by Washington’s latest trade measures aimed at curbing imports linked to forced labour and addressing unfair trade practices.

The tariff was announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in a July 23 statement issued by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, which unveiled revised import duties ranging from 10% to 12.5% on goods from several major trading partners.

The latest move is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to rebuild a near-global tariff system after the US Supreme Court struck down the president’s previous “reciprocal” tariffs imposed under a national emergencies law.

What the Trump administration is saying

The new tariff schedule places Nigeria among countries facing the higher 12.5% rate, alongside several major economies and trading partners.

• “Today’s action comes after the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) investigations, which included two rounds of public hearings, more than 2,100 public comments, and engagement with our trading partners to remedy these longstanding concerns,” the statement noted.
• The US administration stated that other countries facing the 12.5% rate include Brazil, China, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Venezuela.
• A 10% tariff will apply to imports from countries including Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan and the United Kingdom, the statement added.

The new tariffs will cover 99.4% of US imports, although several products, including oil and gas, fertiliser and certain food items, will be exempt.

The new duties are scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Friday, with goods already in transit exempt from the tariffs until 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 28.

Backstory

The latest tariff action follows the US Supreme Court’s decision in February to strike down Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs, which ranged from 10% to 50% and were introduced under a national emergencies law to reduce the US trade deficit.

Trump responded to the ruling by imposing a temporary 10% tariff for 150 days. The new duties are being imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.

• The administration said the new framework would maintain a tariff floor on virtually all US imports.
• The tariffs include exemptions for products such as oil and gas, fertiliser and certain food items.
• The Section 301 framework is expected to face less legal risk because the law has survived previous court challenges.
• The new duties will replace the temporary 10% tariff that was due to expire at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Friday.

More Insights

The new tariff schedule is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reshape US trade policy and maintain higher duties on imports from countries with which Washington has significant trade imbalances or other policy disputes.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the United States had enforced a forced-labour import ban for nearly a century and that the latest action was intended to address human rights concerns and trade distortions.

• “The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it. It’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” Greer said.

The new framework also comes amid continuing trade tensions with China. US officials have told Chinese counterparts that Washington intends to rebuild Trump’s second-term tariffs on Chinese goods to 20%, in line with a trade truce agreed with President Xi Jinping in November 2025.

Nigeria’s inclusion in the latest tariff schedule follows an earlier announcement by Trump in July 2025 that the country would face an additional 10% tariff for aligning with what he described as the “anti-American policies of BRICS.”

What you should know

The BRICS grouping includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran. The group describes itself as a political and diplomatic coordination forum for countries from the Global South.

The United States had earlier announced a baseline 10% tariff on all imports in April 2025, alongside country-specific reciprocal tariffs targeting nations that impose higher duties on American goods.

Under the latest tariff schedule, Nigeria’s 12.5% rate is higher than the 10% tariff imposed on several countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and India.

However, the new duties include product exemptions, meaning the actual impact on Nigerian exports to the United States will depend on the specific goods affected and whether they fall within the exempt categories.