Nigeria has been listed among 60 economies that could face new tariffs from the United States over alleged failures to ban and effectively enforce restrictions on goods produced with forced labour.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that investigations conducted under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 found that the affected economies had not taken sufficient steps to prevent the importation of products made with forced labour, a situation it said places American businesses and workers at a disadvantage.
If approved after a public consultation process, the proposed measure would impose an additional 12.5 per cent tariff on exports from countries including Nigeria. Combined with the existing 15 per cent tariff burden, Nigeria’s effective tariff rate on exports to the U.S. could rise to 27.5 per cent.
Announcing the findings, U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer said countries trading with the United States must do more to prevent forced labour goods from entering their markets.
“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,” Greer said.
“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 neither adopted nor effectively enforced restrictions against forced labour imports.
Other African countries named in the report include Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and South Africa.
The investigation also identified six economies — Canada, Ecuador, the European Union, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan — as having existing forced labour import prohibitions but failing to enforce them effectively.
The USTR argued that weak enforcement allows companies benefiting from forced labour to gain unfair cost advantages, distorting international trade and undermining businesses that comply with labour standards.
Under the proposal, countries that have already adopted or pledged to adopt effective forced labour import bans could face an additional 10 per cent tariff, while countries without such measures would be subject to a 12.5 per cent duty.
The agency also proposed a special textile mechanism that would allow a limited volume of apparel and textile imports from certain countries to enter the U.S. at a reduced tariff rate.
The investigations, launched on March 12, 2026, involved testimony from nearly 60 witnesses and approximately 500 written submissions and rebuttals before the final determination was reached.
If implemented, the proposed tariffs could have significant implications for Nigeria and other affected economies that depend on exports to the U.S. market. The measure remains under review and has not yet taken effect.
