On Thursday, the United States announced that it is applying new import tariffs on 60 trading partners, citing concerns over forced labor. These levies, which range between 10 and 12.5 percent, are set to begin on Friday, replacing a temporary global duty that is expiring. The decision follows a lengthy investigation aimed at ensuring the new measures are better equipped to withstand legal scrutiny than previous attempts by the Trump administration.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that the move is intended to encourage other nations to mirror American enforcement of forced labor bans. Major economies such as China and India are among those affected. Countries that currently maintain their own prohibitions on forced labor, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, will face the lower 10-percent rate, while nations like Japan and China are subject to the 12.5-percent tier. Goods already subject to specific steel or aluminum tariffs, as well as those under the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, remain exempt.
This policy shift comes as the administration seeks more durable ways to exert trade pressure following a Supreme Court ruling that invalidated earlier tariff efforts. Trade experts suggest that by using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, officials have gained more flexibility to adjust duties over time. This approach reflects a broader trend toward a protectionist American economy. Meanwhile, the administration is simultaneously pursuing additional investigations into industrial capacity and has recently implemented separate, punitive tariffs on goods from Brazil and Canada.
