Nigeria and South Africa are among seven African countries that could face higher tariffs on exports to the United States under a new trade proposal targeting imports linked to forced labour.
The move, announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), places Nigeria alongside Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Angola, Morocco and South Africa on a list of economies accused of failing to adequately prohibit or enforce restrictions on goods produced with forced labour.
If approved, the proposal could make it more expensive for affected countries to sell products into one of the world's largest consumer markets, raising fresh concerns about trade competitiveness and export earnings.
The USTR said its Section 301 investigation found that 54 economies had neither implemented sufficient bans nor effectively enforced measures against imports tied to forced labour. The agency argued that weak enforcement creates unfair advantages by lowering production costs and distorting international trade.
Under the proposal, affected countries could face an additional tariff of between 10% and 12.5%, on top of an existing 10% baseline duty. For countries such as Nigeria, total tariffs could rise to 27.5%.
