Trump imposes 15% tariff on Nigeria, 10 other African countries

|By Adejumo Adekunle

…White House says order takes effect from August 1, 2025
…South Africa, Tunisia, Libya hit with higher duties as global trade tensions rise

The United States has imposed a 15 percent tariff on goods from Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique, Mauritius, Malawi, Lesotho, Madagascar, and other African nations, following an Executive Order issued by President Donald Trump.

The directive, titled “Further Modifying the Reciprocal Tariff Rates”, was announced in a White House statement released Thursday. It stated that the new tariffs will apply to goods “entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m.” beginning August 1, 2025.

The tariff list also targets major global economies, including a 30 percent duty on goods from South Africa and Libya, 25 percent from Tunisia, 25 percent from India, 15 percent from Japan, and 10 percent from the United Kingdom.

Trump’s latest move builds on an earlier Executive Order issued on April 2, 2025, which announced a sweeping imposition of import tariffs on multiple countries, Nigeria included.

Experts have raised concerns about the potential economic fallout of these tariffs. The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), in a recent analysis, warned that the new import duties would significantly raise the cost of doing business and reduce Nigeria’s export competitiveness in the US market.

“The tariff hike could stifle trade volumes and increase pressure on the naira, especially as Nigeria seeks to boost non-oil exports,” CPPE noted.

Analysts also say the development could affect diplomatic relations between the US and several African countries, many of which have strong bilateral trade and development ties with Washington.

Trump’s decision comes amid rising global trade tensions and increasing calls for protectionist economic policies in the run-up to the US general elections.