Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% on 60 trading partners, including the UK, the EU, Canada and Australia, over alleged failures to address forced labour. The proposal, which also targets China, Japan, India, Brazil and Switzerland, is seen as an attempt to bypass previous court rulings that blocked his earlier tariff plans.
The EU immediately criticised the move, arguing that it breaches the spirit of the tariff deal agreed with the US last July. A European Commission spokesperson said the bloc “fully shares” US concerns about forced labour but considers the proposed tariffs unjustified. The UK government said it had already tackled forced labour through legislation such as the Modern Slavery Act, and stressed that existing trade terms remain unchanged.
The tariffs stem from investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which examined labour laws in 60 countries. A 98-page report found that only Canada, Ecuador, the EU, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan had not failed to impose a forced labour import prohibition. However, the White House judged Canada to be failing to enforce its laws, and noted that the EU’s ban on forced labour imports does not take effect until December 2027.
Under the proposal, the UK, EU, Canada, Mexico and Taiwan would face 10% tariffs, while China, Japan, India, South Korea, Brazil and Switzerland would face 12.5% levies. The tariffs are not yet in force and are subject to public comment and review. The move follows the US Supreme Court ruling in February that Trump’s earlier “liberation day” tariffs were illegal, and a subsequent trade court decision that also found his 10% across-the-board tariffs unlawful.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the failure of trading partners to address forced labour imports created an unlevel playing field for American workers. Experts had predicted Trump would seek alternative legal routes to impose tariffs after the court setbacks. The new proposal comes as the US also threatens 25% tariffs on Brazil.
