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Tariffs replace expiring levy
The Trump administration announced new tariffs on 60 trading partners to replace a temporary 10% tariff that expires at 12:01 a.m. ET Friday, with the new duties set under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
“US hits dozens of countries with new wave of tariffs The US has imposed new tariffs on 60 trading partners in the latest escalation in the trade war reignited by US President Donald Trump when he returned to office last year”
Fox Business said the tariffs will be 10% and 12.5% on imports from the 60 trading partners beginning Friday, after a Supreme Court in February struck down President Donald Trump's “reciprocal” tariffs of 10% to 50% imposed last year.
The BBC said the new tariffs replace an identical levy that expires on Friday and will apply to 60 US trade partners covering 99.4% of US imports, with the rates ranging from 10% to 12.5% on all goods.
In a statement, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said, “Today's action will begin to correct what is both a human rights abuse and a distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere,” as the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative tied the lower and higher rates to forced-labor enforcement commitments.
The BBC also reported that US trade expert Caroline Freund said the move is “not about forced labour” and that Trump is “simply ‘looking for a legal reason to put the tariffs in’.”
Court fight and legal arguments
As the tariffs took shape, Fox 2 Detroit reported that the latest round already faces “a pair of legal challenges” filed by small businesses, including Learning Resources in the Court of International Trade.
Fox 2 Detroit said Burlap and Barrel and watch retailer Collective Horology are represented by the libertarian advocacy group Liberty Justice Center in a separate lawsuit, while the plaintiffs argue the Trump administration “does not make a case against a specific economy.”
Sara Albrecht, chairman and CEO of the Liberty Justice Center, said, “Forced labor is morally indefensible, but an important objective does not give the government permission to ignore the law,” in explaining the lawsuits’ argument.
The BBC framed the forced-labor justification differently through Caroline Freund, who told the BBC’s Today programme that the administration was “looking for a legal reason to put the tariffs in” rather than pursuing forced-labor enforcement.
The BBC also quoted Greer saying, “Today's action will begin to correct what is both a human rights abuse and a distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere,” as the administration defended the Section 301 basis for the new duties.
Business and partner reactions
The BBC reported that the UK’s British Chambers of Commerce head William Bain said the UK had lost its comparative advantage against the European Union, pointing to a 10% all-inclusive deal for the EU while the UK faces 10% universal tariffs on top of duties on individual goods.
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In Adelaide, La Razón reported that Australia’s Trade Minister Don Farrell rejected the forced-labor linkage and said the higher tariff on Australian exports would rise to 12.5% from the 10% level, adding that Australia believes the higher tariffs are “completely unjustified.”
La Razón also quoted New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon saying the tariffs were “extremely disappointing,” “unfounded and harmful to trade,” and it cited his post on X that “Tariffs are not the way forward; they raise costs and uncertainty for businesses.”
The BBC said the levies are likely to raise costs for businesses and consumers, while Asia Society Policy Institute expert Wendy Cutler said trading partners were likely to focus on ways to “reduce their dependence on the US” by making deals with other countries.
In its coverage of the EU response, El Mundo said Brussels valued the new 10% tariff “positivamente” because it “está en consonancia con los compromisos arancelarios asumidos por Estados Unidos,” while also noting the EU’s rejection of the Section 301 forced-labor premise.
