Trade representative Jamieson Greer said it was time for US trading partners to match Washington's ban on imports made with forced labour. (EPA Images pic)WASHINGTON: The United States said Thursday that it would impose new tariffs on 60 trading partners over forced labour concerns, replacing an expiring global duty rolled out by president Donald Trump earlier this year.The levies, effective Friday, range from 10% to 12.5% and impact major economies like China, India and the EU, as well as Malaysia."The United States has had a forced labour import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it's well past time for our trading partners to do the same," said US trade representative Jamieson Greer.He earlier added that targeted economies represent the majority of US trade.The Trump administration has moved swiftly to rebuild the president's tariff wall after the Supreme Court struck down a host of his duties in February -- dealing a blow to his ability to unleash steep levies at will.After the setback, Trump tapped different authorities to reimpose a 10% tariff on imports. But this only lasts 150 days, expiring Friday.The volley of new duties, initially proposed in June, will now take its place.The measures were planned after a months-long investigation and are considered more resistant to legal challenges than earlier moves.Under Thursday's announcement, economies that have implemented a forced labour import prohibition or committed to do so are hit with the lower 10% rate.
They include Malaysia, Canada, the EU, India and the United Kingdom.China, Japan, South Korea and dozens of others were deemed to deserve the higher 12.5% tariff.But the EU, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland receive some relief, aligning with trade pacts they previously reached with the US.Goods already facing sector-specific tariffs -- like steel and aluminum -- will not be impacted.Certain energy products and fertilizers will be exempt too, alongside goods covered by the US-Mexico-Canada free trade pact, a US official told reporters.Maintaining leverageWashington is separately investigating 16 economies over excess industrial capacity, in probes that could lead to additional duties.These could result in varying rates among countries eventually, experts warn.The Trump administration's move to impose a baseline tariff while sustaining the threat of further duties maintai… The levies, which take effect July 24, range from 10% to 12.5% and impact major economies like China, India and the European Union The new tariffs range from 10 per cent to 12 per cant and will affect major economies including China, India, and the European Union.
The United States said Thursday that it would impose new tariffs on 60 trading partners over forced labor concerns, replacing an expiring global duty rolled out by President Donald Trump earlier this year. The levies, which take effect Friday, range from 10 percent to 12.5 percent and impact major economies like China, India and the European Union. “The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” said US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in unveiling the duties.
The Trump administration has moved swiftly to rebuild the president’s tariff wall after the Supreme Court struck down a host of his duties in February — dealing a blow to his ability to unleash steep levies at will. After the legal setback, Trump tapped different authorities to reimpose a 10-percent tariff on imports. But this only lasts 150 days, expiring Friday.
The volley of new duties, initially proposed in June, will now take its place. The measures were proposed after a months-long investigation and are considered more resistant to legal challenges than earlier moves. Under Thursday’s announcement, economies that have implemented a forced labor prohibition are hit with the lower 10-percent rate.
They include Canada, the EU and the United Kingdom. Others were deemed to deserve harsher levies, receiving the higher 12.5 percent tariff, a US official told reporters. Trading partners like China and Japan are covered in this group.
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