The administration imposes new global tariffs on 60 trading partners to address forced labor practices.

The administration announced a new set of tariffs on goods from the United States' 60 largest trading partners, ranging from 10% to 12.5%. These duties, which cover 99.4% of U.S. trade, were implemented under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to penalize countries that have failed to effectively prohibit forced labor practices. The new levies took effect Friday, coinciding with the expiration of a temporary 10% global tariff. While the administration justifies the move as a way to crack down on global labor issues, critics argue the government is using forced labor as a pretext to recreate a broad tariff regime that the Supreme Court previously struck down. Some observers noted that the U.S. also faces significant domestic forced labor, particularly in state-run prisons. International reactions have been mixed. Australia and Japan expressed concern over the forced labor allegations, while the European Union responded with cautious optimism. China rebuked the unilateral move, stating that trade wars do not serve any party's interests.

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