New US forced-labor tariffs take effect on 60 trading partners at rates of 10 to 12.5 percent

New US import tariffs on 60 trading partners came into force at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday. The duties, set at 10 to 12.5 percent, were imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 following a months-long investigation, on the stated grounds that these economies failed to curb imports of goods produced with forced labor.

The measures replace a temporary 10 percent global tariff that expired after 150 days and, according to the published report, cover 99.4 percent of US imports. Goods already in transit are exempt until 28 July 2026. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the United States has had a forced-labor import ban for nearly a century and that it was well past time for its trading partners to do the same.

The 10 percent rate applies to economies including Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan and the United Kingdom, which have imposed or committed to forced-labor import bans. Other economies, among them China, Russia, Vietnam and Türkiye, face 12.5 percent. The European Union, Japan and Australia have protested the move.