The United States has imposed new tariffs on 60 trading partners, extending a fresh phase of its trade dispute, which was reignited after President Donald Trump returned to office last year. The duties, which apply to almost all US imports, will be set at 10% to 12.5% on goods from the targeted countries. The move replaces an identical tariff regime that expires on Friday, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR). New duties replace expiring levyThe latest measure covers the top 60 US trade partners and accounts for 99.4% of American imports, the USTR said. The White House proposed the tariff range last month, citing concerns that key economic partners had not done enough to tackle forced labour. USTR Jamieson Greer said the action would “begin to correct” both what he described as a human rights abuse and a trade practice that distorts markets, adding that it aimed to improve the welfare of workers. In comments provided to the BBC’s Today programme, US trade expert Caroline Freund said the swap was “like for like” and that the administration was maintaining a similar framework after the previous one ended. Court ruling in the backgroundThe new tariffs follow an earlier decision by the US Supreme Court, which this year ruled that many of the emergency-based tariffs imposed around the world were illegally enacted. Friends and critics have pointed to the legal context in explaining why the Trump administration has sought alternative grounds for imposing import duties. Freund said the forced-labour justification did not reflect the central purpose of the policy, adding that Trump was looking for a legal basis to introduce and retain the tariffs. Other analysis suggested the impact on businesses and consumers could be moderated by exemptions covering some goods, said Wendy Cutler of the Asia Society Policy Institute. Cutler said many trading partners were likely to respond by pursuing arrangements that reduce dependence on the US. UK, China and EU among targetsThe United Kingdom, China and the European Union are among those affected by the new duties. The head of the British Chambers of Commerce, William Bain, said the UK had lost comparative advantages against the EU as a result of the tariffs. He told the BBC that the EU already has a 10% all-inclusive deal for tariffs on its goods, while the UK faces a 10% universal tariff on top of duties imposed on individual products. David Henig, director of UK trade policy at the European Centre for International Political Economy, said the UK had “slightly moved backwards”, adding that the outcome could change quickly under Trump. The UK government said firms would face no change to the tariff rate the UK is subject to. A government spokesperson said the UK takes forced labour seriously and is working so that businesses are not complicit in global supply chains. It also said UK whisky would not be affected after Trump agreed to exempt the product during King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the US. Reactions from other governmentsBrazil’s government called the new 12.5% rate “unjustified”. Japan said it regretted the tariffs, while Australia’s trade minister, Don Farrell, described the levies as “completely unjustified”. China previously opposed unilateral tariff measures and denied forced-labour allegations. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said there was “no so-called forced labour in China” and that such claims were used for “political manipulation”. Several international human rights groups have said forced labour exists in China, particularly among Muslim ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. Trump has long argued that tariffs protect American workers and support US economic growth. In April 2025, he imposed tariffs of up to 50% on global trading partners in a campaign described as “Liberation Day”, but the Supreme Court later struck them down and said the president had exceeded his authority, leading to tens of billions of dollars in refunds. The White House then pursued other approaches, including a broad 10% levy that expired on Friday, and Washington has also imposed tariffs on countries such as Brazil and Canada. The US and China remain involved in a tit-for-tat tariff dispute that is currently on hold, while the administration has used tariffs to press other countries on non-trade issues, including Mexico. The White House may also impose further tariffs, with investigations underway into 16 countries over claims of manufacturing overcapacity, covering a large share of US imports. Join the discussion? 25 July 2026
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