U.S. Imposes Fresh Tariff On Nigerian Goods Over Forced Labour

The United States has imposed a new 12.5% tariff on all products imported from Nigeria after determining that the country failed to impose and effectively enforce a ban on the importation of goods produced with forced labour.

The action was announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in a notice issued on Thursday, following a Section 301 investigation into the trade practices of 60 economies, including Nigeria.

According to the USTR, Nigeria was among 54 economies found to have failed to establish and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced wholly or partly with forced labour.

As a result, the U.S. government said Nigerian exports to the American market will now attract an additional 12.5% duty, except for products covered by specified exemptions outlined in the notice. The new tariffs take effect from 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on July 24, 2026, with a short grace period for goods already in transit.

The USTR explained that economies which have already enacted and enforced forced labour import prohibitions, committed to doing so through an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART), or implemented partial regimes preventing the importation of certain forced labour goods would face a lower tariff rate of 10%.

Nigeria, however, was placed in the higher tariff category alongside dozens of other countries that the U.S. said had not taken sufficient action.

The investigation, initiated in March 2026 under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974, examined whether the targeted economies had laws prohibiting the importation of goods produced with forced labour and whether such laws were being effectively enforced.

The USTR said it received more than 1,600 public comments and heard testimony from over 100 witnesses, including representatives of governments, industry groups, domestic producers and non-governmental organisations, before reaching its final decision.

The U.S. government noted that several countries, including Cambodia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Sri Lanka and Trinidad and Tobago, introduced forced labour import prohibitions during the course of the investigations, while Jordan committed to implementing similar measures through an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade.

The notice also provides exemptions for certain categories of goods, including informational materials, donations, accompanied baggage, products already subject to Section 232 tariffs, and specific items identified in annexes to the order where additional duties could disrupt U.S. supply chains or prove ineffective in addressing the underlying concerns.