The United States has imposed a 12.5 per cent tariff on imports from Nigeria over the country’s failure to prohibit and effectively enforce a ban on goods produced with forced labour.

The announcement was made by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), who said the measure targets countries that have not implemented or enforced restrictions on imports linked to forced labour.

Unfortunately, Nigeria falls among six affected countries. Others are India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

Nigeria, however, faces a higher tariff of 12.5 per cent while other countries were subjected to a 10 per cent rate.

This marks the latest effort by the administration of President Donald Trump to reshape global trade policy through existing trade laws.

The tariffs come six months after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the White House’s attempt to impose broad global tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Following the ruling, Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to introduce a universal 10 per cent tariff on imports into the U.S. for up to 150 days before later increasing the rate to 15 per cent.

According to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the decision followed investigations covering 60 economies, two rounds of public hearings, consultations with more than 45 governments and thousands of public submissions.

“President Trump recognises 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. It’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” Greer said.

The new tariff is expected to take effect as part of Washington’s broader effort to pressure trading partners into strengthening measures against forced labour in global supply chains.