U.S. imposes new tariffs on 60 trading partners

The new tariffs range from 10% to 12.5% and apply to economies accounting for about 99% of U.S. imports, including China, India, Japan, South Korea and the European Union.

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

The new measures were imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that Trump's previous global tariffs under emergency powers were not legally authorized. The administration said the latest duties are expected to be more resilient against legal challenges.

Countries that have introduced or pledged to introduce bans on forced labor imports, including Canada, the European Union, India and the United Kingdom, will face a 10% tariff. China, Japan, South Korea, Kazakhstan and dozens of other economies are subject to the higher 12.5% rate, although several U.S. trading partners, including the EU, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Switzerland, secured partial relief under existing trade agreements.

Sector-specific tariffs on products such as steel and aluminum remain unchanged, while certain energy products, fertilizers and goods covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement are exempt.

The decision drew criticism from several affected countries. Japan said it "regrets" the new duties, while Australia's trade minister described them as "unjustified." Brazil, which is also subject to the higher tariff rate, called the measures "arbitrary and unjustified" and said it plans to introduce retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that U.S. President Donald Trump had imposed a 50% tariff on a wide range of Canadian goods, citing what his administration described as discriminatory treatment of American automobiles, dairy products and alcohol.