US proposes new import duties targeting African exports over forced labour concerns

The United States has proposed fresh import duties of 10% and 12.5% on goods from 60 economies, including eight African countries, as part of a wider push to curb the flow of products linked to forced labour.

According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the measure would cover exports from Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. The agency said its review found shortcomings in legal protections and enforcement systems ...

Reuters reported that the plan is intended to address what Washington sees as an uneven playing field for US workers and businesses, with market access increasingly tied to labour-rights compliance rather than traditional trade imbalances. The proposed duties would sit above the baseline 10% tariff used in earlier reciprocal trade measures, with some exports facing a 12.5% rate.

The proposal remains under review and has not yet taken effect. The USTR said consultations were held with a range of governments, but concluded that the eight African countries named had not met the standards required to prohibit and enforce restrictions on forced-labour-linked imports.

Trade analysts say the move highlights a broader shift in US trade policy, in which supply-chain transparency and labour enforcement are becoming central to access to the American market. If approved, the tariffs could raise costs for exporters in countries already facing a difficult global trading environment.

Source: Noah Wire Services