The Trump administration on Friday implemented a new series of tariffs on the United States' 60 largest trading partners, replacing a global 10% tariff that expired at midnight. The new measures establish a two-tiered system of 10% and 12.5% duties on goods from 59 countries and the European Union. According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the targeted nations account for more than 99% of all U.S. imports, though exemptions remain for energy and specific food categories.
The administration cited the prevention of forced labor as the legal justification for the new duties. A USTR fact sheet stated that the United States is the only nation to effectively enforce a ban on forced-labor imports and that the targeted economies have failed to implement similar prohibitions. Critics, including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), have challenged this rationale, characterizing the move as an attempt to bypass a previous Supreme Court ruling that limited the president's authority to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) for broad tariffs.
In addition to the global measures, President Trump signed proclamations this week to impose 50% tariffs on certain Canadian imports effective next month, citing a 1930 statute. The administration also introduced a proposal for pharmaceutical tariffs that would not take effect for two years. A senior administration official stated the timing of the new forced-labor tariffs was intended to ensure a seamless transition for businesses and to maintain the administration's stated commitment to labor standards.