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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Economy & Trade

US slaps tariffs on Nigeria, 59 other countries over forced labor claims

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • The United States has imposed new tariffs on imports from 60 economies, including Nigeria, for failing to prohibit goods produced with forced labor.
  • The tariffs, ranging from 10% to 12.5%, follow investigations launched in May 2026 by the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
  • The USTR received over 1,600 public submissions and consulted more than 45 governments before announcing the measures.

The United States has enacted new tariffs on imports from 60 countries, including Nigeria, citing their failure to prohibit goods made with forced labor. The tariffs, set at either 10% or 12.5%, were announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) following investigations initiated in May 2026.

The USTR's decision stemmed from an extensive review process. The agency reported receiving more than 1,600 public submissions and conducting hearings with over 100 witnesses. Consultations were also held with more than 45 governments before the tariffs were finalized.

Nigeria will face a 12.5% tariff. Countries that have demonstrated commitment to banning imports linked to forced labor will be subject to the lower 10% rate. The USTR noted that for the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan, the tariffs are applied net of the Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) rate.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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