Photo: EPA
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is considering imposing new 10% tariffs on imports from several major trading partners, including the European Union, Canada and Mexico, according to Politico.
The proposal stems from a report by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which examined whether trading partners are effectively enforcing bans on goods produced with forced labor. U.S. officials argue that failure to address such practices creates unfair competition for American workers and businesses.
The report found that the EU, Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Indonesia and Pakistan have not sufficiently enforced existing restrictions on imports linked to forced labor. As a result, a 10% tariff was recommended for goods from those jurisdictions.
The same tariff level was also proposed for several countries that have signed trade agreements with the United States but are viewed as falling short of their commitments on labor standards. United Kingdom was included because of what the report described as only a partial framework for preventing forced labor in supply chains.
Meanwhile, 44 other countries could face higher duties of 12.5%, including major U.S. trading partners such as Japan and South Korea.
The proposals come at a sensitive moment in trade relations. The EU is currently considering measures linked to a trade agreement with Washington, while Canada and Mexico remain engaged in talks over the review of the USMCA trade pact.
In parallel, U.S. authorities are conducting a separate investigation into industrial overcapacity involving 15 economies, including China, the EU, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
If approved, the new tariffs could take effect after the current temporary 10% global tariff regime expires at the end of July.
