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President Donald Trump is moving forward with new tariffs on imports from dozens of U.S. trading partners as temporary worldwide duties imposed earlier this year expire Friday.
The administration announced tariffs ranging from 10 to 12.5 percent on imports from 60 countries that account for roughly 99 percent of U.S. imports, arguing the nations have failed to adequately enforce prohibitions on goods produced with forced labor.
The new tariffs take effect just after temporary 10 percent global tariffs expire Friday. The president imposed those interim duties after the Supreme Court struck down broader tariffs he had enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
The administration is now relying on Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorizes the president to impose tariffs and other trade measures against countries found to engage in “unjustifiable,” “unreasonable” or “discriminatory” trade practices. President Trump previously used the authority during his first term to levy tariffs on China.
Additional Section 301 tariffs could follow. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is investigating whether 16 countries that account for about 70 percent of U.S. imports have overproduced goods in ways that disadvantage American manufacturers. That inquiry remains ongoing.
President Trump has argued that higher tariffs will strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence on foreign imports. Last year, he imposed broad tariffs on imports from nearly every country, citing the nation’s longstanding trade deficit as a national emergency.
The Supreme Court later ruled that IEEPA does not authorize the president to impose tariffs, requiring the administration to refund importers who had paid the duties.
In response, the president implemented temporary global tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows such duties for no more than 150 days. That authority expires Friday.
Administration officials said some countries reduced their tariff rates after strengthening enforcement against forced labor. A senior administration official said India’s tariff, for example, was lowered to 10 percent.
Several products, including oil, natural gas and fertilizer, are exempt from the new tariffs. Goods that qualify for duty-free treatment under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement also remain exempt.