Nigeria Among African Nations Hit with New 12.5% US Tariff Over Forced Labour Enforcement

Nigeria and seven other African countries have been targeted with a new 12.5% tariff by the United States after American authorities concluded they had not done enough to prevent the importation of goods produced through forced labour.

The tariffs were announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) following a Section 301 investigation conducted under the US Trade Act of 1974. The probe examined 60 economies to assess whether they had effective legal and enforcement measures against forced labour in supply chains.

The affected African nations are Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and South Africa.

According to the USTR, these countries failed to implement or adequately enforce prohibitions on goods produced with forced labour, giving them what the agency described as an unfair trade advantage.

The US said the move differs from previous tariff actions focused on trade deficits, stressing that the latest measure specifically addresses labour standards and supply chain practices.

The USTR argued that allowing forced labour goods into domestic markets lowers production costs, distorts international competition and places American businesses and workers at a disadvantage. It also said the practice redirects products made without forced labour into the US market.

Explaining the decision, US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer stated:

“President Trump recognizes that decades of moral suasion have not eradicated forced labour from global supply chains.

“The United States has had a forced labour import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same.

“Today’s action will begin to correct what is both a human rights abuse and distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere. I am encouraged by the trading partners who have moved quickly to adopt forced labour import prohibitions, and look forward to ensuring their effective enforcement.”

The USTR noted that countries including Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and others had either adopted, committed to introducing, or partially implemented forced labour import bans. Those economies received a lower 10% tariff.

Following the review, the agency also applied tariffs of 10% or 12.5%, net of the Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) rate, on certain products from the European Union, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland, while Nigeria and several other economies were placed under the 12.5% tariff category.

The USTR said the new policy is designed to create a fairer global trading environment, stressing that countries with credible laws and effective enforcement against forced labour imports would not be subject to the additional duties.

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