US Hits 60 Nations With New Tariffs Over Forced Labour Failures
BBC Business reported Tuesday that the United States has unveiled forced labour tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% on 60 trading partners. The list includes the UK, the European Union, Canada, and Japan. Together those markets account for nearly all goods exported to the US.
Washington Cites a Failure to Act on Forced Labour Goods
The US Trade Department concluded that every targeted country had neglected to ban imports of goods produced wholly or partly through forced labour. Authorities said those nations had also failed to enforce any such prohibition where one existed.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer framed the action as a competitive fairness issue. He argued that trading with countries that tolerate forced-labour supply chains places American workers at a structural disadvantage. Critics, however, contend that tariff-heavy trade policy has pushed consumer prices higher both domestically and abroad.
The 60 nations under review were first placed under formal investigation in March, when Washington began examining whether they met US standards on forced labour enforcement. The group collectively represents 99.4% of total US import value.
Also Read: Trump’s New Tariff Comes Into Effect at Lower Than Expected Rate
A Second Push After the Supreme Court Blocked Earlier Duties
This latest round marks only the second time the Trump administration has announced new import taxes since February, when the US Supreme Court struck down the so-called Liberation Day tariffs imposed in April 2025. President Donald Trump condemned that ruling and described the justices behind it as mistaken.
In the immediate aftermath of the court decision, the White House announced a temporary 10% global tariff. The rate was later signalled to rise to 15%, but ultimately held at 10%. That measure is scheduled to expire in July unless Congress acts to extend it.
Background: Liberation Day and the Tariff Unravelling
The Liberation Day package had imposed sweeping duties across dozens of economies in a bid to reset global trade terms in America’s favour. When the Supreme Court invalidated those charges, the administration lost its broadest tool for applying economic pressure. The forced labour investigation, launched shortly after that ruling, gave the White House a separate statutory route for reintroducing broad-based import charges without relying on the same emergency powers the court had rejected.
The new tariffs are expected to draw legal and diplomatic challenges from several of the affected nations, particularly US allies within the Group of Seven.
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