Business Honor: Trump administration imposes new Tariffs on 60 Trading Partners.

Trump imposes forced labor duties as 10% US tariffs expire

Politics

White House imposes forced labor tariffs on 60 trading partners as 10% to 12.5% under Section 301 covering nearly all the US goods.

Imposing of forced labor duties on 60 trading partners by Trump
10% of US tariffs have expired
38 countries were assigned a 12.5% rate
Trading partners are disappointed on the new levies
Trump’s administration has been haunting for options

On Friday, the Trump administration announced new tariffs on 60 trading partners of 10% to 12.5% on goods, including the European Union and China. After the striking down of his “reciprocal” duties of 10% to 50% imposed last year under the national emergency law to try to shrink the US trade deficit. The new tariffs announced on Thursday cover 99.4% of US imports, with the exception of a few products which include oil and gas, fertilizers, and certain food items.

The US trade representative Jamieson Greer said, “Today’s action will begin to correct what is both a human rights abuse and a distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere.” The 10% tariff is imposed by the US on goods from countries, including Argentina, Bangladesh, Britain, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Trinidad, and Tobago.

The countries, including the UK, China, and the European Union, will face a tariff of 10% to 12.5% on all goods, accounting for all American imports. An identical levy was replaced by the tariff, which expires on Friday, based on economic partners having failed to properly tackle forced labor.

The tariffs were imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974; the new duties allow the administration to maintain a tariff floor on virtually all US imports despite the Supreme Court setback. The Swiss government, in the dispute over allegations underlying the forced labor investigation, has said that the United States was adhering to past commitments on tariff ceilings, in its case of up to 12.5%.

In November 2025, the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, agreed to rebuild Trump’s second-term tariffs on Chinese goods back up to 20%, but not exceed that level. Before Friday’s action, the Chinese rate had fallen to 10%, excluding the 25% imposed during Trump’s first term on industrial goods. Trump has long argued that the tariffs protect American goods and boost the US economy. Business Honor believes that the move is likely to intensify disputes with key partners, even as Trump continues to argue that such measures safeguard U.S. workers and strengthen the domestic economy.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Trump administration says the new tariffs are intended to address unfair trade practices and concerns over forced labor while protecting American industries and workers.

The tariffs apply to imports from around 60 trading partners, including China, the European Union, the United Kingdom, India, Canada, Mexico, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, and several other countries.

Most affected imports will face tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5%. According to the administration, the new duties cover about 99.4% of U.S. imports.

The administration imposed the new tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, allowing it to maintain broad import duties after the previous "reciprocal" tariffs faced legal challenges.