US President Donald Trump introduces new tariffs of up to 12.5 percent on imports from 60 countries starting Friday. The EU is affected along with Taiwan, Japan and Switzerland. The US government justifies the move with insufficient action against forced labor.
The new tariffs take effect on Friday at 6:01 a.m. German time. They replace previous special tariffs imposed after a February defeat before the Supreme Court that are now expiring. The office of US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that the affected countries had not sufficiently enforced bans on goods produced with forced labor.
Trump relies on Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act. It permits sanctions against countries with trade practices deemed unjustified. Depending on the partner, investigations result in tariff rates of 10 or 12.5 percent, according to the US government announcement.
Exempt are products already on a ship or cleared before July 28. Higher sector-specific tariffs continue to apply for steel and aluminum. The EU had concluded the so-called Turnberry Deal with Trump in August 2025 to avert a trade war.
