Arabic version: الولايات المتحدة تفرض رسوماً جمركية مرتبطة بالعمل القسري على 60 شريكاً تجارياً

According to BBC News, the United States will impose new tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on about 60 trading partners over claims they have not adequately stopped imports made with forced labour. The duties, which take effect on Friday as a temporary 10% tax on foreign goods expires, cover partners including the UK, China, the EU, Canada, Japan and India.

The Office of the US Trade Representative said the measures apply to the top 60 US trade partners, covering 99.4% of US imports. Partners that have committed to adopt and effectively enforce bans on forced-labour imports will face a 10% tariff, while those without such commitments will face a 12.5% rate. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer invoked Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, saying the action would address both a human-rights abuse and a trade practice that distorts commerce.

The policy is the latest step in the Trump administration’s tariff strategy after the US Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that many tariffs enacted under emergency powers had been imposed illegally. The White House has since pursued other legal routes. Earlier this week, it used Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to impose 50% tariffs on products from Canada.

Brazil called the new measure unjustified and arbitrary, saying Washington was using workers’ rights to support protectionist trade policy. Japan said it regretted the tariffs, while Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell described them as completely unjustified. Trade experts told the BBC that the levies could raise costs for businesses and consumers, although exemptions could soften the effect, and that affected countries may seek to reduce reliance on the US market.