Nigeria has been listed among 60 economies targeted by the United States for allegedly failing to impose and effectively enforce bans on the importation of goods produced with forced labour, a move that could trigger new 12.5 per cent tariffs on exports to the American market.
- +Nigeria, 59 other economies face new 12.5% US tariff threat
The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced on Tuesday that it had concluded investigations under Section 301 of the U.S.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced on Tuesday that it had concluded investigations under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 and found that the failure of the affected economies to prohibit and effectively police the importation of goods made with forced labour was unreasonable and burdens U.S. commerce.
As a result, the USTR has proposed additional duties on products from the affected economies, including Nigeria, pending a public consultation process.
If approved, the penalty would be added to the 10 per cent baseline tariff already imposed under President Donald Trump’s reciprocal trade framework and would effectively raise the U.S. tariff on Nigeria to 27.5 per cent.
Announcing the decision, U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer said, “The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labour is unacceptable. This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an uneven playing field.
“We will no longer tolerate this disparity. Some trading partners have taken initial steps to prevent the importation of forced labour goods, including through the USMCA and commitments in Agreements on Reciprocal Trade. However, each of our trading partners must do more to ensure that trade does not perversely encourage and entrench forced labour globally.”
According to the USTR, Nigeria is among 54 economies found to have failed both to impose and effectively enforce prohibitions on the importation of goods produced with forced labour.
Other African countries listed in the report include Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and South Africa.
The U.S. investigation added that the absence of effective import restrictions in these countries undermines global efforts to eliminate forced labour and creates unfair market advantages for firms benefiting from exploitative labour practices.
Beyond Africa, the findings affect a wide range of major U.S. trading partners across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.
Countries named include China, India, Japan, South Korea, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Australia, Brazil, Argentina and Israel.
The USTR also found six economies — Canada, Ecuador, the European Union, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan — to have existing forced labour import prohibitions but to have failed to enforce them effectively.
The agency argued that the failure of the affected economies to address forced labour-related imports distorts global competition by allowing firms that use forced labour to produce goods at lower costs, thereby undermining businesses that comply with labour standards.
Under the proposed measures, economies that have adopted or committed to adopting forced labour import prohibitions could face an additional 10 per cent duty on exports to the United States. Other economies could face an additional 12.5 per cent tariff.
The USTR is also proposing a special textile mechanism that would permit a limited volume of apparel and textile imports from certain economies to enter the U.S. market at a reduced Section 301 tariff rate.
“Specifically, the U.S. Trade Representative proposes additional duties on all products of the investigated economies that impose a forced labor import prohibition, that have committed to impose and enforce such a prohibition through an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, or economies that have imposed a partial regime with the effect of preventing the importation of certain forced labor goods, the U.S. Trade Representative proposes 10% as the rate of additional duties.
“For all other economies, the U.S. Trade Representative proposes 12.5% as the rate of additional duty. The U.S. Trade Representative also proposes a textile mechanism that would allow for a certain volume of apparel and textile imports from certain economies to enter the United States at a reduced Section 301 tariff rate,” the findings stated.
The investigations were launched on March 12, 2026. The USTR said it received testimony from nearly 60 witnesses and about 500 written comments and rebuttal submissions before reaching its determination.
The outcome of the consultation process could have significant implications for Nigeria and other affected economies that rely on access to the U.S. market for exports.
While the proposal is still under review and has not yet taken effect, the measure is aimed at correcting trade imbalances. Unlike broader reciprocal tariffs, the proposed new duties are targeted specifically at labour-related practices.
