By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria will bear a 15 per cent tariff as President Donald Trump looks to enforce tariffs on countries trading with the United States.

President Trump has set a baseline tariff of 10 per cent on all imports to the United States, as well as additional duties on certain products or countries.

The American President says tariffs will encourage US consumers to buy more American-made goods, increase the amount of tax raised and boost investment.

So, Nigerian companies that bring goods into the US have to pay the tax to the government.

However, they may pass some or all of the extra cost on to customers.

Countries and Tariffs

Here is a list of targeted tariffs he has implemented or threatened to put in place.

Afghanistan – 15 per cent

Algeria – 30 per cent

Angola – 15 per cent

Bangladesh – 20 per cent

Bolivia – 15 per cent

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 30 per cent

Botswana – 15 per cent

Brazil – 50 per cent, with lower levels for sectors such as aircraft, energy and orange juice

Brunei – 25 per cent

Cambodia – 19 per cent

Cameroon – 15 per cent

Canada – 10 per cent on energy products, 35 per cent for other products not covered by the US-Canada-Mexico Agreement

Chad – 15 per cent

China – 30 per cent, with additional tariffs on some products. This agreement, which was due to expire on August 12, has been extended for another 90 days through an executive order, according to a White House official.

Costa Rica – 15 per cent

Cote d’Ivoire – 15 per cent

Democratic Republic of the Congo – 15 per cent

Ecuador – 15 per cent

Equatorial Guinea – 15 per cent

European Union – 15 per cent on most goods

Falkland Islands – 10 per cent

Fiji – 15 per cent

Ghana – 15 per cent

Guyana – 15 per cent

Iceland – 15 per cent

India – 25 per cent, additional 25 per cent threatened to take effect August 28

Indonesia – 19 per cent

Iraq – 35 per cent

Israel – 15 per cent

Japan – 15 per cent

Jordan – 15 per cent

Kazakhstan – 25 per cent

Laos – 40 per cent

Lesotho – 15 per cent

Libya – 30 per cent

Liechtenstein – 15 per cent

Madagascar – 15 per cent

Malawi – 15 per cent

Malaysia – 19 per cent

Mauritius – 15 per cent

Mexico – 25 per cent for products not covered by USMCA

Moldova – 25 per cent

Mozambique – 15 per cent

Myanmar – 40 per cent

Namibia – 15 per cent

Nauru – 15 per cent

New Zealand – 15 per cent

Nicaragua – 18 per cent

Nigeria – 15 per cent

North Macedonia – 15 per cent

Norway – 15 per cent

Pakistan – 19 per cent

Papua New Guinea – 15 per cent

Philippines – 19 per cent

Serbia – 35 per cent

South Africa – 30 per cent

South Korea – 15 per cent

Sri Lanka – 20 per cent

Switzerland – 39 per cent

Syria – 41 per cent

Taiwan – 20 per cent

Thailand – 19 per cent

Trinidad and Tobago – 15 per cent

Tunisia – 25 per cent

Turkey – 15 per cent

Uganda – 15 per cent

United Kingdom – 10 per cent, with some auto and metal imports exempt from higher global rates.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Director-General (DG) of Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Emomotimi Agama, says Africa and the Middle East must tap into opportunities in digital assets, which will be worth $10 trillion by 2030.

The SEC DG said this in his acceptance speech after he was elected the Vice Chairman of the Africa/Middle East Regional Committee (AMERC) of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).

According to a statement, with young and tech-savvy populations, Africa and the Middle East must lead and not follow in digital assets.

He said his mandate as the Vice Chairman was to transform the capital markets into engines of inclusive growth, innovation, and shared prosperity for Africa and the Middle East.

”We must aggressively expand listings by working with African Financial Markets Initiative (AFMI) and SSA exchanges to harmonise standards, reduce listing costs, and create cross-border linkages.

”To boost liquidity, we will pioneer regional market-making schemes and advocate for pension fund reforms to channel domestic savings into productive investments.

“Critically, we will partner with AFMI and development institutions to de-risk infrastructure investments and attract global capital.

”However, infrastructure alone is not enough. With 70 per cent of Africa’s population under 30, we must empower youth through: Retail investor programmes to democratise market participation, Fintech sandboxes to nurture youth-led innovation and Listings of high-growth startups to create wealth and jobs,” he said.

Mr Agama said there was still a lot of work to be done despite the progress made by IOSCO, calling on members to continue to render the mutual support and cooperation of past years for the benefit of investors, markets and indeed the world economy.

He noted that the committee would continue to deepen discussions and debates to launch a “Listings Growth Initiative” for Small and Medium Enterprises.

Mr Agama will serve on the Board of IOSCO, the highest decision making organ of the global securities regulatory organisation, till 2026.

IOSCO was established in 1983 as the standard setter for the securities industry worldwide and currently has over one hundred ordinary members. It is recognised as the leading international policy forum for securities regulators. The organisation’s membership regulates more than 95 per cent of the world’s securities markets in over 100 jurisdictions.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

A leading figure in the global cryptocurrency landscape, Tether, has revealed that its exposure to the United States treasuries stood at $127 billion in the second quarter of 2025 compared with about $119 held in the first quarter of this year, becoming one of the largest US debt holders.

This milestone comes at a time when US policymakers, through the GENIUS Act, have taken decisive steps to solidify the Dollar’s global leadership in digital form.

Tether’s reserves composition exemplifies how private innovation can align with public monetary goals, serving as a conduit for secure, on-chain access to US Dollar liquidity at scale.

Business Post gathered that the treasuries held by Tether comprise $105.5 billion in direct holdings and $21.3 billion owned indirectly.

In its financial figures, Tether also revealed that it issued over $13.4 billion USDT between April and June 2025, bringing the circulating supply to more than $157 billion, reflecting the growing adoption of the stablecoin and deepening the trust in Tether as the most stable, transparent, and resilient digital dollar instrument in the world.

The firm said it closed June 2025 with a net profit of about $4.9 billion, bringing the total for the first six months of the year to $5.7 billion.

Building on the strength of its equity buffer and continued profitability, Tether has reinvested a substantial portion of its recent earnings into long-term strategic initiatives.

“Q2 2025 affirms what markets have been telling us all year: trust in Tether is accelerating. With over $127 billion in US Treasury exposure, robust bitcoin and gold reserves, and over $20 billion in new USD₮ issued, we’re not just keeping pace with global demand, we’re shaping it,” the chief executive of Tether, Mr Paolo Ardoino, stated.

“As regulators formalize frameworks for digital dollars, Tether stands as a live, proven model of what stablecoin innovation can achieve: transparency, resilience, and massive global reach.

“USDT is helping billions access the stability of the US Dollar, and that mission has never been more urgent or more relevant,” Mr Ardoino added