In a significant shift in its trade strategy, the United States, under President Donald Trump’s administration, has imposed a 15 percent import tariff on Nigeria and several other African countries. This decision follows a broader executive order that has reshaped the import tariff landscape, originally set at 14 percent for Nigeria earlier this year.

Announced by the White House on Thursday, this modified reciprocal tariff rate comes after previous extensions intended to facilitate negotiations for individual trade agreements. The deadline for these discussions was pushed to August 1, but ultimately, no new agreements were reached, prompting the implementation of the increased tariffs as part of Trump’s global trade policy overhaul.

Despite the urgency and efforts from various officials on both sides, no trade deals were established between the US and any African nation during this period of negotiation. As countries sought to navigate the complexities of the new tariffs, additional challenges emerged, including travel restrictions applied to several African nations. Initially exempt, Nigeria was eventually included in the evolving restrictions, further complicating trade relations.

Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed his country’s intention to enhance trade relations with the US but highlighted that the travel restrictions posed obstacles to achieving this goal.

Here is the breakdown of the revised tariff rates affecting various countries:

– 10% – Falkland Islands, UK, and all other countries not listed in the executive order
– 15% – Nigeria, Afghanistan, Angola, Bolivia, Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Ghana, Guyana, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe
– 18% – Nicaragua
– 19% – Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines
– 20% – Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam
– 25% – Brunei, India, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Tunisia
– 30% – Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Libya, South Africa
– 35% – Iraq, Serbia
– 39% – Switzerland
– 40% – Laos, Myanmar (Burma)
– 41% – Syria

In a related note, China continues to engage in negotiations with the Trump administration amid an ongoing trade war. Canada and Mexico also face significant tariffs, with Canada facing a 35 percent tariff and Mexico encountering a tiered structure of tariffs on various goods including fentanyl, cars, steel, aluminum, and copper.

Brazil, initially subjected to a 10 percent tariff, has seen its rate rise to 50 percent following the announcement of a separate 40 percent tariff.

These recent developments signify a turbulent period for international trade, with significant implications for affected nations and their economies.