The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has faulted
Nigeria’s import ban on 25 items, saying the restrictions limit market access
for American exporters.
This comes almost a week after President Donald Trump
announced sweeping tariffs on goods entering the US, with Nigeria getting 14
percent.
In a post on X on Monday, the USTR highlighted what it
described as “unfair trade practices faced by American exporters”.
“Nigeria’s import ban on 25 different product categories
impacts U.S. exporters, particularly in agriculture, pharmaceuticals,
beverages, and consumer goods,” the agency said.
“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 USTR warned that the policies create significant trade
barriers that lead to lost revenue for US businesses looking to expand in the
Nigerian market.”
In 2016, the Nigerian government banned 25 items from
importation as part of efforts to control imports.
The items include live or dead birds including frozen
poultry, pork and beef, bird eggs, refined vegetable oil, cane or beet sugar
and chemically pure sucrose in solid form; cocoa butter, powder and cakes,
spaghetti and noodles, and fruit juice in retail packs.
Other banned items include water, other non-alcoholic
beverages, beer and stout; bagged cement, medicament, waste pharmaceuticals,
soaps and detergents, mosquito repellant coils, sanitary wares of plastics,
rethreaded and used pneumatics tyres, corrugated paper and paper boards, and
recharge cards and vouchers.
The remaining prohibited items can be found here.
On March 26, 2025, the federal government said plans are
underway to halt the importation of solar panels to promote local manufacturing
and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to clean energy.
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