The US Trade Representative on Tuesday proposed new duties targeting 60 economies for alleged failures to act against forced labor, a move that risks renewed trade tensions with key partners.
The proposed levies range from 10 percent to 12.5 percent, according to a government filing, and come as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to rebuild its tariff agenda following legal setbacks.
The measures will undergo a public comment period before a final decision is made.
But their announcement could lead to renewed friction between the United States and the European Union — one of the potential targets — as they move to implement a trade deal struck last summer.
“The EU considers tariffs imposed on these grounds to be unjustified,” EU trade spokesman Olof Gill said Wednesday.
The US move comes months after Washington opened investigations into trading partners including China, the EU and Japan.
The probes looked into whether they took action against the import of goods made with forced labor, and if this impacted US commerce.
On Tuesday, the USTR said 54 of the economies “failed to impose and effectively enforce a forced labor import prohibition.”
This group includes China, Vietnam, Taiwan and Britain.
Six other economies — Canada, Ecuador, the EU, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan — were deemed not to have effectively enforced such prohibitions.
Source: Insider Paper
