Trump’s latest trade proposal could hit exports from eight African countries with new tariffs, marking a new phase in Washington’s effort to tie market access to labour standards and supply-chain compliance.
The proposal, unveiled by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), targets countries that the U.S. says have failed to impose or effectively enforce restrictions on imports produced with forced labour.
Among the 60 economies investigated, eight African nations were included: Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa.
If approved, most products from these countries could be subject to an additional 12.5% tariff when entering the U.S. market. The measure remains under review and has not yet been implemented.
The proposal differs from the baseline 10% tariff introduced earlier under President Donald Trump’s reciprocal trade framework, which affected a broad range of countries as part of an effort to address trade imbalances and market-access concerns.
