The Trump administration, citing a “ban on forced labor,” imposed tariffs on 60 U.S. trading partners

🔸The Donald Trump administration, on Friday, Mordad 2, imposed new tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on imported goods from 60 trading partners of the United States, including the European Union and China.

🔸According to Reuters, the move is based on what it described as these countries’ lax enforcement of a ban on forced labor, and comes as a temporary 10% global tariff comes to an end.

🔸The new tariffs, announced on Thursday in a notice published in the “Federal Register,” cover 99.4% of U.S. imports, although they include numerous exemptions such as oil and gas, fertilizer, and some foodstuffs as well.

🔸These tariffs have been applied under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act and allow the government to, in practice, preserve at least a minimum level of tariffs on nearly all imports despite a ruling by the Supreme Court. They are also likely to face fewer legal challenges, as this tool has held up in courts.

🔸Trump’s temporary 10% global tariff expired at 12:01 a.m. on Friday Eastern Time after 150 days, and the new tariffs went into effect exactly at the same time. Goods that were in transit will be exempt from these tariffs until July 28.

🔸Jameson Greer, U.S. trade representative, said in a statement: “The United States has banned and seriously enforced the import of goods produced with forced labor for nearly a century. It is time for our trading partners to do the same.”

🔸He added that this measure is an effort to counter human-rights violations and correct a harmful trade practice.

🔸Greer had previously said that for countries that have trade agreements with Washington with a tariff cap, these new tariffs would not exceed that cap.

🔸The U.S. set a 10% tariff for imported goods from countries such as Argentina, Bangladesh, Britain, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and several other countries.

🔸For the European Union, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland, the total new tariffs together with existing tariffs are set at 10% or 12.5%.

🔸For 38 other countries, including Vietnam and China, a 12.5% tariff has been set.

🔸The U.S. accuses China of exploiting the Uyghur minority in labor camps, an allegation Beijing rejects.

🔸Officials in the Trump administration have also told their Chinese counterparts that they intend to bring the tariffs for the second presidential term back to 20%, but not beyond that.

🔸Prior to this move, China’s tariff rate had been reduced to 10% (separate from the 25% tariff on industrial goods during the first Trump term).

🔸Read the full report on the Radio Farda website.