ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-Nigeria has been included among 60 economies identified by the United States for allegedly failing to establish and effectively enforce bans on the importation of goods produced through forced labour, a development that could result in an additional 12.5 per cent tariff on exports to the U.S. market.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced on Tuesday that investigations conducted under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 concluded that the affected economies had not adequately prohibited or enforced restrictions on imports linked to forced labour, a situation the agency said places a burden on U.S. commerce.
Following the findings, the USTR proposed additional tariffs on products originating from the affected economies, including Nigeria, subject to a public consultation process.
If the proposal is approved, the new levy would be added to the existing 10 per cent baseline tariff imposed under President Donald Trump’s reciprocal trade policy, increasing the effective tariff rate on Nigerian exports to 27.5 per cent.
READ ALSO:Workers Day: Labour Union Kicks Against New Proposed Electricity Tarrif
Explaining the decision, U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer stated, “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 neither introduced nor effectively enforced prohibitions on imports produced with forced labour.
Other African nations named in the report include Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and South Africa.
The U.S. agency said inadequate import restrictions in the affected countries weaken international efforts to combat forced labour and provide unfair advantages to businesses benefiting from exploitative labour practices.
Beyond Africa, the investigation covered several major U.S. trading partners across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.
Countries listed 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 further found that six economies Canada, Ecuador, the European Union, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan have forced labour import bans in place but have not enforced them effectively.
The agency maintained that inadequate action against forced labour-related imports distorts global trade by enabling companies that rely on forced labour to produce goods more cheaply, putting compliant businesses at a disadvantage.
Under the proposal, economies that have implemented or pledged to implement forced labour import prohibitions could face an additional 10 per cent duty on exports to the United States, while other economies could be subject to a 12.5 per cent tariff.
The USTR is also proposing a dedicated textile mechanism that would allow a specified volume of apparel and textile imports from selected 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 initiated on March 12, 2026, and the USTR said it reviewed testimony from nearly 60 witnesses alongside approximately 500 written comments and rebuttal submissions before reaching its conclusions.
The outcome of the consultation process could have major consequences for Nigeria and other affected economies that depend on access to the U.S. market for exports.
Although the proposal remains under review and has not yet been implemented, U.S. authorities said the measure is intended to address trade imbalances and, unlike broader reciprocal tariffs, specifically targets labour-related trade practices.