The United States Trade Representative has criticised Nigeria’s import ban on 25 categories of goods, claiming that the restrictions limit market access for American exporters.
This follows a recent announcement of a 14 per cent tariff on Nigeria exports by the President Donald Trump administration, which will take effect on April 9, 2025.
The USTR highlighted the impact of Nigeria’s import ban on various sectors, particularly agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods, which affects items such as beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and alcoholic beverages.
The USTR said it considered the ban significant barriers to trade, pointing out that the limitations reduce export opportunities for US businesses and lead to lost revenue.
“Nigeria’s import ban on 25 different product categories impacts U.S. exporters, particularly in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
“Restrictions on items like beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and spirits limit U.S. market access and reduce export opportunities.
“These policies create significant trade barriers that lead to lost revenue for U.S. businesses looking to expand in the Nigerian market,” the agency said via its X handle.
In 2016, Nigeria implemented the ban on the 25 items as part of efforts to control imports and stimulate local production.
Some of the banned items include poultry, pork, refined vegetable oil, sugar, cocoa products, spaghetti, beer, and certain medicines.
