LAGOS AUGUST 1ST (NEWSRANGERS)-The United States (U.S.) has imposed new 15% tariffs on imports from several West African nations, including Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon, under a sweeping executive order issued by President Donald Trump on Thursday aimed at addressing what he described as persistent trade imbalances threatening U.S. national security.
The revised order, which updates April’s Executive Order 14257, introduces a recalibrated structure of ad valorem duties that targets dozens of trading partners deemed to have failed to offer reciprocal market access or sufficient alignment on economic and security priorities.
“I have received additional information and recommendations from various senior officials on, among other things, the continued lack of reciprocity in our bilateral trade relationships and the impact of foreign trading partners’ disparate tariff rates and non-tariff barriers on U.S. exports, the domestic manufacturing base, critical supply chains, and the defense industrial base,” Trump said in the order.
Under the new tariffs, U.S. imports from Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon will now face a 15% duty rate, a move likely to affect shipments of cocoa, crude oil, cashew nuts, textiles, and machinery parts commonly exported from these countries to the U.S.
The decision comes despite recent outreach efforts by African nations to deepen trade cooperation with Washington. However, notable exemptions from the list included Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal, whose leaders met with Trump in Washington earlier last month.
While some countries “have agreed to, or are on the verge of agreeing to, meaningful trade and security commitments,” others “have failed to engage”, the order said.
Analysts say the measures could strain relations with nations that are key players in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which the U.S. has expressed support for in previous forums.
The executive order includes anti-transshipment measures imposing a 40% duty on goods routed through third countries to evade tariffs. It also calls for semiannual publication of blacklisted facilities and countries used in circumvention schemes.
The new tariffs take effect seven days after the signing of the order, with limited exemptions for goods already in transit. The U.S. Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce will monitor compliance and recommend further action if countries retaliate or fail to address U.S. concerns.
Forbes
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