The United States is considering imposing an additional 12.5 percentage point tariff on imports from seven African countries following investigations into labour standards and forced labour enforcement.
The proposed action would be implemented under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows the U.S. President to respond to foreign trade practices deemed unreasonable or harmful to U.S. commerce. The countries under review include Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa.
USTR Investigation Targets Forced Labour Enforcement
Earlier this year, the Office of the United States Trade Representative launched investigations into labour practices across 60 economies, covering approximately 99.4% of U.S. imports.
According to the agency’s findings, 54 economies failed to establish legal prohibitions on importing goods produced wholly or partly with forced labour, while six additional economies were found to have inadequate enforcement mechanisms. The USTR concluded that the investigated countries’ practices could be subject to action under Section 301.
Textile and Apparel Exports Most at Risk
Analysis by ONE Data indicates that Egypt, Morocco and South Africa would experience the greatest impact if the proposed tariffs are implemented.Egypt, which exports approximately $2.6 billion worth of goods annually to the U.S., is expected to see its effective tariff rate increase from 11.9% to 13.8%. The country’s textile and apparel industry is particularly vulnerable, with knitted garments, woven apparel and carpets accounting for a significant share of exports.
For Morocco, the effective tariff rate could rise from 9.9% to 11.4% on its $1.8 billion in exports. Woven and knitted apparel represent the largest source of exposure, followed by agricultural products including prepared fish and fresh fruit.
Although South Africa exports the largest overall value to the U.S.—around $14.6 billion annually—its effective tariff rate would increase more modestly, reaching 10.4%. Precious metals and jewellery dominate its export basket, while vehicle exports would remain unaffected because they are already subject to separate automotive tariffs.
Read more: Record Cotton Production To Drive West Africa Exports
Oil Exporters Less Affected
The remaining targeted countries—Libya, Nigeria, Algeria and Angola—are expected to experience minimal impact. Their exports to the United States are heavily concentrated in crude oil, which generally carries very low import duties and would not be subject to the proposed Section 301 surcharge.
 Trump Administration Seeks New Legal Basis for Tariffs
The proposal represents the latest effort by the Trump administration to strengthen its tariff strategy after previous measures faced legal challenges in U.S. courts.Following rulings that limited the administration’s ability to impose broad tariffs under emergency powers, officials have increasingly turned to Section 301 investigations as a more durable legal mechanism for introducing country-specific trade measures.
The U.S. government argues that inadequate enforcement against forced labour creates unfair competition for American manufacturers and distorts international trade.The proposed measures are not limited to Africa. Countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, Saudi Arabia and South Korea are also included in the wider Section 301 review.
The public consultation period closed on 6 July 2026, after which U.S. authorities are expected to decide whether to proceed with the proposed tariffs.
