Why Trump's 'forced labor' tariffs leave the world puzzled
After the US Supreme Court struck down Donald Trump's emergency tariffs, the White House has turned to another trade law linked to alleged human rights abuses.
The United States has imposed new tariffs on 60 economies, including major trading partners like the European Union, Taiwan, Japan and Russia, citing the use of forced labor in imported goods. The tariffs, effective immediately, cover over 99% of U.S. imports and replace a temporary 10% global tariff set to expire. Countries like Argentina, India, Pakistan, the UK, China, and many others will face a higher 12.5% tariff.
Exemptions include steel, aluminum, automobiles, civilian aircraft, rare earth minerals, and goods covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Critics argue the move is a legal workaround for Trump's broader tariff program, which was struck down by the Supreme Court in February. The U.S. Trade Representative claims foreign producers benefit from forced labor, giving them an unfair price advantage over American workers.
However, many analysts view this as an attempt to bypass the court's ruling and see the new tariffs as part of a continued effort to cut reliance on Chinese goods and build more resilient supply chains.
Written by urgent.news from DW Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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