The administration of US President Donald Trump has imposed new tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners, including the European Union and China, citing what it described as inadequate enforcement of bans on forced labour.
The new duties took effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT) on Friday, immediately after the expiration of a temporary 10% global tariff that had been in place for 150 days. Goods already in transit will remain exempt until July 28.
The tariffs, announced in a Federal Register notice on Thursday, cover about 99.4% of US imports but exempt several products, including oil and gas, fertiliser, certain food items, aircraft and parts, critical minerals, as well as products already subject to national security tariffs such as steel, aluminium, copper and automobiles.
The latest action marks another attempt by the Trump administration to restore the broad tariff regime the president championed during his campaign after the US Supreme Court in February struck down his earlier “reciprocal” tariffs of between 10% and 50%, ruling that they exceeded presidential authority under emergency powers.
Unlike the previous measures, the new tariffs are being imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, a legal framework that has previously survived court challenges and is expected to face fewer legal hurdles.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer defended the move, saying it was aimed at addressing both human rights violations and unfair trade practices.
“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,” Greer said.
“Today’s action will begin to correct what is both a human rights abuse and distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere.”
Greer had earlier assured countries that negotiated trade agreements with Washington limiting US tariff rates that the new forced labour duties would not push their overall tariffs above those agreed ceilings.
Under the new regime, a 10% tariff applies to imports from Argentina, Bangladesh, Britain, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Trinidad and Tobago.
The European Union, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Switzerland were assigned tariff rates that, when combined with existing most-favoured-nation duties, amount to either 10% or 12.5%.
Thirty-eight other countries, including Vietnam and China, were assigned a 12.5% tariff. Vietnam recently strengthened its regulations banning imports produced with forced labour, while China continues to reject US allegations that Uyghur minorities are subjected to forced labour in detention facilities.
Trump administration officials have also informed Beijing that Washington intends to restore tariffs on Chinese goods to the 20% level agreed during the November 2025 trade truce between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, but not exceed that threshold.
The new measures prompted swift criticism from several US trading partners.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas questioned Washington’s justification for the tariffs, arguing that European labour protections exceed those in the United States.
“If you compare our labour laws to the ones of the United States, I mean, we have paid vacations, we have very good labour conditions for our employees, so it’s not really grounded,” Kallas told Reuters on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Manila.
Australia and Brazil described the tariffs as unjustified and said they would seek their removal, while Norway said there was “no basis” for the measures.
Canada, which earlier this week was subjected to separate US tariffs on $20 billion worth of goods, adopted a more measured tone.
“We will continue engaging constructively with the United States on this matter, as well as other outstanding issues, over the coming weeks to the mutual benefit of our citizens,” Canada’s Minister responsible for US trade, Dominic LeBlanc, said.
Trade experts say the administration’s latest approach may prove more resilient against legal challenges.
Kelly Ann Shaw, a former White House trade adviser during Trump’s first term, said the new policy largely reflects expectations, although it expands the list of exempt products by adding about 471 additional items.
“I think this is more status quo in terms of the economic impact,” Shaw said, noting that several trading partners, including the European Union, had already negotiated tariff caps that limited their exposure.
Ryan Majerus, a former US Commerce Department official and trade lawyer, said the administration has broad authority under Section 301 once the duties are imposed.
“Once the 301 duties are placed, they have a lot of flexibility to adjust them,” Majerus said. “It’s a sledgehammer. It’s also intended to keep the 10% baseline in place, and they think they’re well protected when this goes to court.”
A senior Trump administration official rejected suggestions that the new tariffs merely replace the expired global duties, insisting they are specifically designed to address forced labour concerns.
The official argued that the United States enforces stronger restrictions on goods produced with forced labour than any other country, creating what Washington views as an uneven competitive environment, and added that lawmakers from both major political parties have consistently called for the elimination of forced labour from global supply chains.
Boluwatife Enome
