By Olatunbosun Obafemi
In a major policy shift, U.S. President Donald Trump has officially imposed a 15% import tariff on goods from Nigeria and a host of other African nations, marking a significant escalation in his administration’s trade stance. The directive, issued Thursday via an Executive Order titled “Further Modifying the Reciprocal Tariff Rates,” is set to take effect from 12:01 a.m. on the date of implementation.
Affected African countries include Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique, Mauritius, Ghana, Malawi, Lesotho, and Madagascar, alongside Nigeria. The order is part of a broader strategy aimed at recalibrating trade balances with nations the U.S. deems to be benefiting disproportionately under existing arrangements.
The move comes as a follow-up to a previous Executive Order from April 2, 2025, in which the White House outlined its intent to expand tariffs globally, citing the need to protect American industries and jobs from what it described as unfair competition and imbalanced trade relationships.
While Nigeria and several African nations were hit with the baseline 15% tariff, other countries received steeper penalties. South Africa and Libya saw their tariff rates spike to 30%, while Tunisia was assigned a 25% levy. Outside Africa, countries such as the United Kingdom (10%), India (25%), and Japan (15%) were also impacted.
In total, over 35 countries were listed in the Executive Order, including developing nations such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Cameroon, and Pakistan, and even long-standing U.S. allies like Norway, New Zealand, and South Korea.
The tariffs apply to all goods entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse after the designated start time and are expected to ripple through global supply chains and trade relationships, particularly in sectors like textiles, agricultural products, and raw materials.
The Trump administration has framed the policy as part of a “reciprocal trade” doctrine, arguing that the U.S. must respond in kind to what it views as lopsided access to foreign markets. However, the sweeping nature of the tariffs is likely to draw criticism from both international trade partners and U.S. businesses that rely on imported goods.
