The Trump administration has proposed new tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 economies, citing their failure to adequately prevent goods made with forced labor from entering global supply chains. The proposal, announced by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), is part of a Section 301 investigation aimed at rebuilding tariff measures that were invalidated by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this year.
Under the proposal, imports from countries and regions including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Taiwan would face an additional 10% duty. Meanwhile, a higher 12.5% tariff is planned for 45 other economies, including China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the measures are intended to protect American workers from unfair competition linked to forced labor practices.
The proposal has drawn criticism from several trading partners. European officials described the findings as unjustified, pointing to the EU’s legislation banning products made with forced labor. China rejected the allegations and opposed what it called unilateral tariff actions, while India said discussions with Washington are ongoing and emphasized that the tariffs remain under review. The USTR has opened a public consultation process through July 6, with a hearing scheduled for July 7 before any final decision is made.
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