US imposes new tariffs on dozens of countries over 'forced labour' claims

The new duties, ranging from 10 to 12.5%, take effect Friday and will replace the global 10% tariffs Trump introduced earlier this year, which expire at 12.01AM on the same day.

The levies announced on Thursday will affect dozens of US trading partners, including major economies like China, India and the European Union, accounting for 99% of its imports.

"The United States has had a forced labour import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it's well past time for our trading partners to do the same," US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said.

Last year, Trump imposed double-digit tariffs on imports from almost every country in the world, arguing that American trade deficits amounted to a national emergency.

The Supreme Court ruled in February that Trump did not have the legal authority to impose such tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

As a result, the administration had to pay refunds to importers that had paid the tariffs and Trump announced 10% worldwide tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 instead.

However, these section levies can only remain in force for 150 days and are due to expire on Friday. The expiring 10% duties will now be replaced by the new tariffs, which are considered more resistant to legal challenges than earlier measures.

The newly-announced tariffs were imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorises the president to introduce import taxes and other sanctions on countries it deems to engage in "unjustifiable," "unreasonable" or "discriminatory" trade practices.

Countries that implemented a forced labour import prohibition or committed to do so, including Canada, the EU, India and the United Kingdom, will receive a 10% rate. Other countries, such as China, Japan and South Korea, will receive a higher 12.5% rate.