The Trump administration will impose new tariffs of 10 per cent and 12.5 per cent on imports from 60 trading partners, including the European Union, from Friday, citing what it says is inadequate enforcement of measures to prevent goods produced with forced labour from entering global supply chains.
Senior administration officials said on Thursday that the new duties will take effect immediately after a temporary 10 per cent global tariff introduced earlier this year expires.
The move marks the latest attempt by President Donald Trump to restore his broader tariff agenda after the U.S. Supreme Court in February struck down the “reciprocal” tariffs, ranging from 10 per cent to 50 per cent, that he imposed last year under emergency powers to reduce the U.S. trade deficit.
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In response to the ruling, Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to introduce a temporary 10 per cent tariff for 150 days. That measure expires at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT) on Friday, when the new tariffs will take effect. Goods already in transit will remain exempt until 28 July.
Administration officials rejected suggestions that the new tariffs are merely a replacement for the expiring duties, despite their similar rates, timing and broad coverage.
A senior administration official said the United States enforces restrictions on imports produced with forced labour more rigorously than any other country, arguing that weaker enforcement elsewhere gives foreign producers an unfair competitive advantage.
The official said the policy also responds to bipartisan calls in Congress to eliminate forced labour from global supply chains.
“President Trump will always use the tools at his disposal to achieve his trade policy objectives, and that includes tariffs,” the official said.
Several categories of imports will be exempt from the new duties, including oil and gas, fertilisers, selected food products and goods already subject to Section 232 national security tariffs, such as automobiles, steel, aluminium and copper.
Products that qualify under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will also be exempt because of the highly integrated North American supply chain and the significant U.S. content in those goods.
Under the final Section 301 tariffs, imports from countries with anti-forced labour laws considered adequate by the United States will attract the lower 10 per cent tariff, while goods from countries judged to have insufficient protections will face the higher 12.5 per cent rate.
Officials said recent legislative reforms in several countries, including India, had resulted in their classification being lowered to the 10 per cent tariff band.
