Trump hits Nigeria with 15% tariff

Nigeria has been slammed with a 15 per cent import tariff by the United States under a sweeping executive order from President Donald Trump, following the collapse of trade talks between Washington and several African countries.

Announced Thursday by the White House, the revised “reciprocal” tariff structure comes after a 90-day extension granted in April expired without any bilateral trade agreements being reached.

In that window, Nigeria had initially been hit with a 14 per cent tariff, but talks to prevent further escalation failed to produce results.

“As states tried to find their way around the taxes in that period, Trump imposed travel restrictions on several African nations,” the announcement read. “Nigeria was not initially included, but was later added as the policy evolved.”

Nigeria joins a raft of countries, including Ghana, Cameroon, Angola, and Mozambique, now subject to the 15 per cent rate. The hike falls under Trump’s aggressive effort to “correct” trade imbalances and enforce what he calls fairer terms for American goods.

Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs, noted that efforts had been made from the African side: “West African nations intended to boost trade with the US but cited the travel restrictions as a barrier.”

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Under the revised tariff map, African nations were left without a single trade deal, despite “frantic efforts by several officials on either side of the divide.”

The new tariff regime also includes a 35 per cent rate for Canada and a complex mix for Mexico, while countries like China and Brazil continue separate negotiations or face even harsher penalties.