WASHINGTON — The United States has proposed new tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% on imports from 60 economies, arguing that their failure to adequately prevent trade in goods produced with forced labor places U.S. workers and businesses at an unfair competitive disadvantage, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
The proposal, announced on July 1 as part of a series of Section 301 trade actions, follows investigations by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) that concluded the targeted economies had failed to impose or effectively enforce prohibitions on imports made with forced labor. The proposed measures remain subject to public consultation before any final decision is made.
Under the proposal, economies that have enacted forced-labor import bans, committed to such measures through trade agreements, or implemented partial restrictions would face an additional 10% tariff. The remaining economies would be subject to an additional 12.5% duty.
The investigations cover major U.S. trading partners, including China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Vietnam, the European Union, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Australia. USTR said differing tariff rates reflected the extent of existing measures taken against imports linked to forced labor.
"The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labor is unacceptable," U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement. He said inadequate enforcement abroad created "an unlevel playing field" for American workers and companies.
Several trading partners disputed the U.S. findings, arguing they already maintain laws or policies aimed at preventing forced-labor imports. European Union officials noted that the bloc has adopted legislation banning products made with forced labor, although key provisions are scheduled to take effect in 2027. Other governments said the U.S. proposal did not fully reflect existing enforcement efforts.
Business groups said the proposal could increase uncertainty for companies seeking to monitor complex global supply chains, while human rights advocates broadly supported stronger efforts against forced labor but questioned whether tariffs alone would be the most effective enforcement tool.
The proposed action is part of the Trump administration's broader effort to rebuild its tariff framework after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated earlier emergency tariffs imposed under different legal authority. The administration is instead relying on Section 301 of the Trade Act to pursue country-specific trade measures.
The USTR said written public comments will be accepted through July 6, with public hearings scheduled to begin on July 7 before any final tariff decision is announced.
