U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose new tariffs on imports from 60 countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, India and Japan, arguing that they have failed to do enough to prevent goods made with forced labour from entering their markets.
The proposal, announced by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), would introduce additional duties of 10% on some countries and 12.5% on others. Washington says the measures are intended to protect American workers from unfair competition linked to forced labour practices in global supply chains.
The move follows a Section 301 investigation that examined whether trading partners had implemented and enforced restrictions on imports produced with forced labour. U.S. officials argue that many governments have failed to adopt standards comparable to those in the United States.
Several affected countries have rejected the allegations. The European Union said it already has some of the world’s strictest legislation against forced labour, while British officials pointed to existing laws, including the Modern Slavery Act. Switzerland also dismissed the U.S. findings as unfounded.
The tariffs are not expected to take effect immediately. The USTR has opened a public consultation process, with hearings scheduled for July before a final decision is made.
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