The United States government has enacted new import duties targeting 60 nations, including Nigeria, citing their failure to adequately prevent and prohibit the importation of products manufactured through forced labour.

The trade policy was officially announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative following widespread investigations conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act, establishing additional import duties ranging between 10 percent and 12.5 percent across affected economies.

Under the framework, trading partners that have implemented or formally committed to executing bans on forced-labor imports qualify for the lower 10 percent duty rate, while Nigeria and other nations currently lacking such enforced prohibitions are placed on the higher 12.5 percent tariff schedule.

American trade officials noted that the regulatory action was taken after extensive investigative proceedings that reviewed thousands of public comments, incorporated witness testimonies, and included consultations with over 45 foreign governments to eliminate human rights abuses from international supply networks.

Despite the broad coverage of the newly applied trade restrictions, specified item categories have been excluded from the extra duties, including essential raw materials that could trigger supply shortages, energy products like oil and gas, fertilizers, and goods that cannot be produced in sufficient quantities within the United States.