The United States on Friday imposed new tariffs of 10 percent and 12.5 percent on goods from 60 trading partners, alleging failures to curb imports made by forced labor, replacing an expiring temporary global tariff.
The new tariffs were imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. They cover the European Union, China, Japan and South Korea among others.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement, "The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it."
China opposed the unilateral tariffs, while Australia called them unjustified. The European Union noted the outcome aligned with prior U.S. trade commitments.
Exemptions cover oil and gas, fertilizer and aircraft parts. Separate investigations into excess capacity target 16 trading partners.
