Fresh data from the US Census Bureau show that Nigerian exports to the United States fell by about $615m in the first eight months of 2025 following new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, even as US exports to Nigeria surged sharply.
Newly released figures from the US Census Bureau reveal that American imports of Nigerian goods dropped by about $615m between January and August 2025 after President Donald Trump implemented higher “reciprocal” tariffs, reducing Nigeria’s exports to $3.582bn from $4.197bn the previous year.
The decline, which lowered Nigeria’s share of US Africa-sourced imports from 15.9% to 11.4%, came despite a slight rebound in August and contrasts with a major increase in US exports to Nigeria, which jumped by nearly 50% to $4.751bn.
The shifts flipped the bilateral trade balance from a $1.028bn US deficit in 2024 to a $1.169bn surplus in 2025, even as other African countries recorded stronger export performances.
Nigerian officials, including President Bola Tinubu and Trade Minister Jumoke Oduwole, maintained that Nigeria would not retaliate, stressing ongoing diversification, non-oil export growth and wider partnerships.
Economists Dr Aliyu Ilias and Dr Muda Yusuf played down the long-term impact, with Yusuf noting that “our trade with the US is not that strategic,” given Nigeria’s oil-heavy export profile.