West Africa wants deals with Trump but US entry bans a barrier, Nigerian minister says
ABUJA, - West African nations want to strike deals with the U.S. over energy and rare earth minerals, but the Trump administration's looming expansion of travel bans risks derailing those efforts, Nigeria's foreign minister said on Wednesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump this month implemented full or partial travel bans for foreign nationals from a dozen countries as part of his immigration crackdown. A possible broadening of the restrictions to an additional 36 countries would include nearly all of West Africa.
"This would be most unfortunate if it comes to pass, because we are a region of opportunities ready to do deals," said Nigeria's Yussuf Tuggar, who currently chairs regional bloc ECOWAS's council of foreign ministers.
President Trump has upended longstanding trade relations since returning to the White House, using erratic tariff threats and aggressive tactics in a bid to secure better deals from trading partners.
As part of an agreement with Beijing, for example, Trump said China will supply the U.S. with magnets and rare earth minerals critical to the auto and battery industries in exchange for Chinese students' continued access to U.S. universities.
"We possess critical minerals and even rare earths," Tuggar told West African government ministers, citing the example of samarium - used for military-grade magnets and nuclear reactor control rods - found in his home state in Nigeria.
"We would like to do deals with the U.S., but visa restrictions are non-tariff barriers to deals," he said.
He also touted the oil and gas-rich region as an energy partner.
"We are also a strategic alternative to more distant and politically divergent energy producers. So, we will do deals for our prosperity. The only question is with whom," he said.
The U.S. has cited reasons for the bans including governments' failure to produce reliable identity documents, corruption, and high volumes of visa overstays by certain countries' citizens.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
US urges China to dissuade Iran from closing Strait of Hormuz
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday called on China to encourage Iran to not shut down the Strait of Hormuz after Washington carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear comments on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo" show came after Iran's Press TV reported that the Iranian parliament approved a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of global oil and gas flows."I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil," said Rubio, who also serves as national security adviser."If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it. And we retain options to deal with that, but other countries should be looking at that as well. It would hurt other countries' economies a lot worse than ours."Rubio said a move to close the strait would be a massive escalation that would merit a response from the U.S. and Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately provide comment.U.S. officials said it "obliterated" Iran's main nuclear sites using 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles and over 125 military aircraft. The strikes mark an escalation in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict Tehran has vowed to defend itself. Rubio on Sunday warned against retaliation, saying such an action would be "the worst mistake they've ever made."He added that the U.S. is prepared to talk with Iran.
Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
US cities beef up security after Trump launched airstrikes on Iran
Major US cities are tightening security after President Donald Trump unleashed airstrikes on Iran, a direct military intervention that's deepened Washington's role in Israel's war with Tehran and raised concerns about potential retaliation. In Los Angeles, mayor Karen Bass said that officials in the second largest US city are closely monitoring the situation.(AFP/ representational) Iran early Sunday warned that the US attack, dubbed 'Operation Midnight Hammer' by the Pentagon, will trigger 'everlasting consequences' and said it 'reserves all options' to respond. Police in New York, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles have since increased patrols at religious institutions, diplomatic facilities and public spaces. Officials cited no credible threats at this time but highlighted the need for vigilance. In the capital, the Metropolitan Police Department said it's closely monitoring the events in Iran and is coordinating with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to share information and monitor intelligence. The New York Police Department said it's deployed additional officers across the city and is coordinating with the US Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies to monitor for any potential threats. Additional resources have been allocated to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across the city. The Greater New York area is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, with about 1.4 million people. Since 2001, the NYPD and its federal partners have disrupted about 30 plots targeting the city, the department said. Officials said those efforts reflect a broad strategy that combines intelligence gathering, overseas partnerships and rapid response capabilities — tools they're now using to assess any fallout from the US strikes on Iran. The department's Intelligence Bureau operates an international liaison program with embedded personnel in 13 countries, including in Israel, where an officer is providing real-time assessments from the region. The NYPD also maintains a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, where meetings can take place without fear of listening devices. Three DHS intelligence analysts are assigned to the department, facilitating the flow of classified information and supporting joint threat analyses. Additional capabilities include a foreign linguist program with more than 1,200 registered speakers across 85 languages, and the Domain Awareness System, a real-time surveillance and analytics platform developed in partnership with Microsoft. In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass said that officials in the second largest US city are closely monitoring the situation. 'Out of an abundance of caution, LAPD is stepping up patrols near places of worship, community gathering spaces and other sensitive sites,' Bass said. 'We will remain vigilant.'
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
UN Security Council to meet on Iran as Russia, China push for a ceasefire
Live Events The U.N. Security Council will meet Sunday to discuss U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites as Russia, China and Pakistan proposed the 15-member body adopt a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle was not immediately clear when it could be put to a vote. The three countries circulated the draft text, said diplomats, and asked members to share their comments by Monday evening. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, France, Britain, Russia or China to U.S. is likely to oppose the draft resolution, seen by Reuters, which also condemns attacks on Iran's nuclear sites and facilities. The text does not name the United States or world awaited Iran's response on Sunday after President Donald Trump said the U.S. had "obliterated" Tehran's key nuclear sites, joining Israel in the biggest Western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 requested the U.N. Security Council meeting, calling on the 15-member body "to address this blatant and unlawful act of aggression, to condemn it in the strongest possible terms."Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement on Sunday that the U.S. and Israel "do not deserve any condemnation, but rather an expression of appreciation and gratitude for making the world a safer place."U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday branded the U.S. strikes on Iran as a "dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge - and a direct threat to international peace and security .""At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace," Guterres said in a statement.
