The United States has imposed a 15% tariff on Nigerian imports, expanding President Donald Trump’s aggressive global trade agenda that now targets dozens of countries with steep duties.
Announced by the White House on Thursday, the sweeping tariff adjustment follows the expiration of a 90-day negotiation period triggered in April, when the Trump administration introduced a 14% tariff on Nigerian goods. With most bilateral talks failing to produce new trade agreements, the U.S. is now moving forward with higher levies on a wide range of imports.
Nigeria is one of several African and global economies affected. Others hit with the new 15% rate include Angola, Ghana, South Korea, Turkey, Japan, Israel, and Norway.
Efforts by African nations to negotiate exemptions were largely unsuccessful. During the talks, the Trump administration also reinstated travel restrictions on several African countries. Nigeria, initially spared, was eventually added to the restricted list, a move Nigerian officials say undermined attempts at building stronger economic ties.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, said regional leaders had hoped to deepen trade relations with Washington but pointed to the renewed visa bans as a setback.
The revised tariff structure features a tiered system:
15% duties now apply to Nigeria and several others including Japan and Israel.
10% tariffs affect countries such as the United Kingdom and the Falkland Islands.
Higher rates include 18% for Nicaragua, 19% for Pakistan and Indonesia, and 20% for Bangladesh and Vietnam.
Punitive tariffs range from 25% to 41%, targeting countries like India, South Africa, Iraq, and Syria — the latter facing the highest rate at 41%.
Latin American countries are also bearing the brunt of the policy shift. Brazil, which had faced a 10% tariff, was hit with an additional 40% charge, raising the total to 50%. Canada is facing a 35% levy, while Mexico has been subjected to a mix of duties, including a 50% tariff on metals.
Talks with China, Washington’s main trade rival, are still ongoing amid growing uncertainty over the direction of U.S. trade policy.
The new tariffs are expected to disrupt global supply chains and may strain diplomatic relations with key partners, particularly in Africa where the U.S. has sought to counter growing Chinese influence.
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