60 countries, including Pakistan, may face new US import tariffs

The Trump administration on Tuesday proposed new tariffs on imports from 60 economies, saying their failure to restrict goods made with forced labour was unfair to American workers and a burden on US commerce.

The US Trade Representative’s office said it had determined that additional duties should be imposed under a Section 301 unfair trade practices investigation.

According to the USTR, imports from Canada, Ecuador, the European Union, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malaysia, Taiwan and Britain would face 10% additional duties linked to the forced labour investigation.

The agency said the remaining 45 countries investigated would face higher additional duties of 12.5%.

“The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labour is unacceptable,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said.

“This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field,” he added.

Move follows Supreme Court setback

The proposal is the latest Section 301 finding released as the Trump administration seeks to rebuild its emergency tariff program.

The move comes after the US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in February.

The announcement also comes ahead of the July 24 expiration of a temporary 10% tariff imposed by the administration on February 20.

The USTR said it was also proposing a textile mechanism that would allow a certain volume of apparel and textile imports to enter the United States at a reduced tariff rate.

However, the agency did not disclose the specific duty rates or import volumes under the proposed mechanism.