US unveils new tariffs on 60 partners

WASHINGTON

Donald Trump

The United States said 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, effective on July 24, 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 U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

He added that targeted economies represent the majority of U.S. 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 percent tariff on imports. But this only lasts 150 days, expiring on July 24.

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.

Economies that have implemented a forced labor import prohibition or committed to do so are hit with the lower 10 percent rate. They include Canada, the EU, India, and the United Kingdom.

China, Japan, South Korea, and dozens of others were deemed to deserve the higher 12.5 percent tariff.

But the EU, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland receive some relief, aligning with trade pacts they previously reached with the United States.

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 U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade pact, a U.S. official told reporters.