Full List: Nigeria, 7 Other African Countries Hit With New 12.5% US Tariff Over Forced Labour
- The US imposes a 12.5% tariff on Nigeria and seven other African nations over forced labour practices
- The tariff aims to combat unfair competition and encourage stronger enforcement against forced labour
- Countries with credible legal frameworks can avoid harsher trade measures under the new US policy
Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
Nigeria and seven other African countries have been hit with a new 12.5 per cent tariff by the United States following allegations that they have not done enough to prevent goods produced with forced labour from entering their markets.
The measure, announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), forms part of a broader trade enforcement action targeting countries accused of failing to establish or effectively enforce laws prohibiting imports linked to forced labour.
Source: Twitter
Nigeria, seven other African countries affected
According to the USTR, the African countries affected by the latest tariff are:
- Nigeria
- Algeria
- Angola
- Egypt
- Libya
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- South Africa
The tariff was imposed under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974 after an investigation covering 60 economies across the world. Ultimately, 38 economies were found to have inadequate measures to prevent the importation of goods produced through forced labour.
The new duties specifically target products exported to the United States from the affected countries.
Why the US imposed the tariff
The USTR said the countries failed to introduce or effectively enforce laws preventing goods produced with forced labour from entering their domestic markets.
According to the agency, this creates an unfair competitive advantage because products made with forced labour are often cheaper to produce, allowing them to distort international trade and undercut businesses that comply with labour standards.
The USTR argued that such practices burden American commerce by exposing US manufacturers to unfair competition both at home and abroad. It also said they divert ethically produced goods away from foreign markets and into the United States, disrupting global trade flows.
Unlike previous tariffs aimed primarily at addressing trade imbalances, the latest measure is focused specifically on labour practices and supply chain integrity.
US defends decision
Announcing the final determination on Thursday, July 24, 2026, US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer said the move reflects Washington's tougher stance on forced labour.
"President Trump recognises that decades of moral suasion have not eradicated forced labour from global supply chains," Greer said.
"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."
He added that the tariffs are intended to address both human rights concerns and unfair trade practices while encouraging countries to strengthen enforcement against forced labour.
Greer also praised countries that have already begun adopting stronger import restrictions on goods linked to forced labour, saying the US would continue monitoring their implementation.
Some countries receive lower tariffs
The investigation found that several economies had already taken steps to strengthen their forced labour import restrictions or committed to doing so through reciprocal trade agreements.
Countries including Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom were placed under a lower 10 per cent tariff.
Source: Twitter
The USTR also determined that products from the European Union, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland would attract either 10 per cent or 12.5 per cent Section 301 duties, depending on applicable Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) rates.
The agency maintained that only countries with credible legal frameworks and effective enforcement mechanisms to block goods produced with forced labour would be exempt from the tougher trade measures, describing the policy as an effort to "level the playing field" for businesses that comply with international labour standards.
Source: Legit.ng
