Web Desk: The Trump administration proposed new tarrifs of 10% to 12.5% on goods from 60 economies, citing what it described as inadequate efforts by trading partners to prevent the flow of products linked to forced labor into global supply chains.
The proposal, issued by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), marks the latest action under a Section 301 investigation into alleged unfair trade practices. The move comes as the administration seeks alternative trade enforcement measures after the US Supreme Court in February invalidated tariffs previously imposed under emergency powers.
Under the proposal, imports from a group of economies, including Canada, the European Union, Mexico, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and the United Kingdom, would face an additional 10% tariff.
Meanwhile, imports from the remaining 45 economies covered by the investigation would be subject to a higher duty of 12.5%.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the administration concluded that many major trading partners had failed to take sufficient action against goods produced with forced labor.
“The continued importation of goods made with forced labor undermines fair competition and places American workers at a disadvantage in global markets,” Greer said in a statement.
The announcement represents another step in the administration’s broader effort to use Section 301 of the Trade Act to address what it views as distortions in international commerce.
Earlier this week, the USTR proposed a 25% tariff on a range of Brazilian products following a separate Section 301 investigation into Brazil’s digital trade policies and tariff preferences.
In addition, the agency is expected to release findings from another major probe examining industrial overcapacity among 16 trading partners, including China.
Alongside the proposed tariffs, the USTR unveiled plans for a textile import mechanism that would allow a specified volume of apparel and textile products to enter the United States at reduced tariff rates.
However, officials did not disclose the tariff levels or import quotas that would apply under the program.
The measure is aimed at balancing trade enforcement objectives with supply-chain considerations for US manufacturers and retailers.
The proposed duties would not apply to several categories of goods that US officials consider strategically important or economically sensitive.
Exempt products include energy commodities, rare earth materials, selected metals, pharmaceuticals, organic chemicals, aircraft components, beef, coffee and certain fruit and vegetable products.
The proposal arrives ahead of the July 24 expiration of a temporary 10% tariff introduced on Feb. 20, the same day the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
The USTR said it will accept public comments on the proposed measures through July 6. A public hearing is scheduled for July 7 before the agency makes final decisions on the tariff plan and other potential remedies.
If implemented, the duties would add a new layer of trade restrictions affecting dozens of US trading partners while reinforcing the administration’s push to tie market access more closely to labor standards and supply-chain practices.
Read more: Apple flagship store launched on Daraz with iPhone installment plans
