U.S. administration proposes new tariffs for 60 countries

June 4 ------ The U.S. administration has proposed new tariffs of 10% or more on trading partners following an investigation into countries importing goods allegedly produced using forced labor.

On 2 June, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said it had identified 60 economies that had failed to “impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor,” describing the situation as a burden on U.S. commerce. “This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field. We will no longer tolerate this disparity,” USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer said in the document.

The tariff proposal is currently open for public comment and review and is not yet in effect. The 60 trading partners listed – including the UK, the EU, Canada, India and Japan – account for almost all of the goods sold to the US.

It is the second time President Donald Trump’s administration has announced new import taxes since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down many of his previous duties in February. On 20 February, the Court ruled that the president had overstepped his authority by imposing broad tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) last year. Trump has argued that tariffs are necessary to reduce the U.S. trade deficit, the gap by which imports exceed exports.

Furthermore, the Trump administration has also proposed a 25% tariff on imports from Brazil, citing concerns over what it describes as unfair trade practices.

The announcement, made by USTR Jamieson Greer, follows an investigation initiated in July and covers issues including digital trade, illegal deforestation, ethanol market access, and anti-corruption enforcement.

Last year, Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Brazil, a move widely linked to objections over the prosecution of his ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro, in connection with efforts to overturn his 2022 electoral defeat.

According to a 107-page report released by the U.S. Department of Commerce, trade practices between the two countries are unreasonable and burden or restrict U.S. commerce, with references also made to Brazil’s trade agreements with Mexico and India.

The proposed tariffs would be imposed under Section 301 of U.S. trade law, which allows for trade sanctions in response to violations of agreements or what the U.S. deems unfair trade practices under the Trade Act of 1974.

Source: safety4sea.com