It emerged yesterday that the 14 percent tariff recently imposed by the United States President, Donald Trump on Nigeria was mainly in protest of the latter’s import ban on 25 different product categories which had impacted US exporters.
The Office of United States Trade Representative (USTR) had noted that the ban, particularly in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods, negatively impacted US trade balance with Nigeria.
This is just as the Trump announced that a 104 percent tariff on goods from China will go into effect today following China’s retaliatory 34% import fee on American products.
Writing yesterday on its X handle, the US Office condemned Nigeria’s restrictions on beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and spirits, a development which limited US market access and reduced export opportunities.
It stated, “These policies create significant trade barriers that lead to lost revenue for U.S. businesses looking to expand in the Nigerian market.”
The USTR had on March 31, submitted the 2025 National Trade Estimate (NTE) to Trump and US Congress. The NTE is an annual report detailing foreign trade barriers faced by US exporters and USTR’s efforts to reduce those barriers.
