By Abubakar Yunusa
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, 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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