{"id":15872,"date":"2026-07-24T16:37:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T11:37:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=15872"},"modified":"2026-07-24T16:37:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T11:37:49","slug":"trumps-new-tariffs-on-over-80-countries-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=15872","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s New Tariffs on Over 80 Countries, Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<section>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt0f47ae2244353439\/6a633a9b0b2ea7a050738d3b\/trade.jpg?branch=production\" \/><figcaption>A fishing boat passes a container ship floating off the Port of Los Angeles, Calif. on July 17, 2026. \u2014Mario Tama\u2014Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>New <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/7212166\/what-are-tariffs-trump-imposing-import-taxes\/\">U.S. tariffs<\/a> on 60 economies take effect Friday, in the latest recourse by President Donald Trump\u2019s Administration to impose alternative taxes on imported goods after the Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/7380033\/supreme-court-tarriffs-ruling-trump\/\">struck down most of his aggressive ones<\/a> earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p>The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) <a href=\"https:\/\/ustr.gov\/about\/policy-offices\/press-office\/press-releases\/2026\/july\/ustr-takes-action-forced-labor-section-301-investigations\">announced<\/a> the new tariffs on Thursday, citing these economies&#8217; alleged failure to impose and \u201ceffectively\u201d enforce a ban on the import of goods \u201cproduced with forced labor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it\u2019s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,\u201d said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in a statement. \u201cToday\u2019s action will begin to correct what is both a human rights abuse and distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since the U.S.\u2019s top court ruled in February that Trump lacked the authority to impose sweeping import taxes through emergency powers, he has turned to temporary measures.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The new round of levies takes effect just as a previous 10% global tariff expired Friday. Trump has argued that high tariffs will boost American manufacturing and thus bring jobs, despite <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/7353475\/trump-tariffs-who-pays\/\">studies<\/a> showing that American importers and consumers take the economic hit for them.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what to know.<\/p>\n<h2>Which countries are covered?<\/h2>\n<p>The USTR on March 12 launched an investigation into countries and economies\u2019 forced-labor import policies, which the office said included two rounds of public hearings, public comments, and engagement with trading partners. The results of these investigations were <a href=\"https:\/\/ustr.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/files\/Press\/Releases\/2026\/USTR%20Report%20Sec%20301%20FL%20301%206-2-26%20FINAL%20for%20upload.pdf\">released in June<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The 60 countries and economies covered by these investigations were Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, the European Union, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, T\u00fcrkiye, United Arab Emirates, the U.K., Uruguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam. The E.U. includes 27 countries.<\/p>\n<p>These partners cover about 99.4% of U.S. imports, according to a USTR <a href=\"https:\/\/ustr.gov\/about\/policy-offices\/press-office\/fact-sheets\/2026\/july\/fact-sheet-ustr-section-301-action-response-failure-60-economies-ban-imports-produced-forced-labor\">factsheet<\/a>. Some goods, however, will not be covered, such as informational materials, donations, and accompanied baggage, among others.<\/p>\n<p>The tariff rates vary. A 10% tariff applies to goods from 17 economies that \u201chave made commitments to adopt, and effectively enforce, forced labor import prohibitions,\u201d among them Canada, India, Mexico, and the U.K.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For certain non-exempt products from the E.U., Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan, the U.S. will charge an extra tax so that the total tariff\u2014including the normal most-favored nation (MFN) tariff\u2014comes to either 10% or 12.5%.<\/p>\n<p>The other countries face a 12.5% tariff rate.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the affected economies, however, have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/how-us-europe-britain-target-goods-made-with-forced-labour-2026-06-03\/\">already targeted<\/a> goods in their supply chains that are linked to forced labor. Beginning December 2027, the European Union will <a href=\"https:\/\/single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu\/single-market\/goods\/forced-labour-regulation_en\">ban products made with forced labor<\/a> in its markets. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/07\/23\/trump-new-tariffs-dozens-of-countries-01010228\">Politico<\/a> reports that other countries successfully lowered the tariff rate on their goods by enforcing a forced-labor ban after the proposed tariffs were announced last month.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Why is the U.S. imposing this?<\/h2>\n<p>An unnamed senior Trump Administration official previewing the new tariffs described the measure to reporters as \u201cthe most sweeping international labor rights action the United States has ever taken\u2014that any country has ever taken.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The official said that the Trump Administration views that countries without enforced bans on forced labor have an \u201cunfair advantage\u201d over the U.S., which has those prohibitions. \u201cIt encourages stronger labor rights enforcement abroad, it will restore fairness in the global market for American workers, and it incentivizes our trading partners to join the United States in eliminating forced labor from global supply chains,\u201d the official added.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/USCODE-2011-title19\/html\/USCODE-2011-title19-chap4-subtitleII-partI-sec1307.htm\">Section 307 of the U.S. \u200cTariff Act of 1930<\/a> prohibits the import of foreign goods produced \u201cwholly or in part\u201d by forced labor, convict labor, or indentured child labor.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/en\/instruments-mechanisms\/instruments\/forced-labour-convention-1930-no-29\">International Labor Organization (ILO) Forced Labor Convention of 1930<\/a> defines \u201cforced labor\u201d as \u201call work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily.\u201d Latest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ilo.org\/publications\/major-publications\/global-estimates-modern-slavery-forced-labour-and-forced-marriage\">statistics from the ILO<\/a> show that about 28 million people were in forced labor worldwide in 2021.<\/p>\n<h2>What\u2019s the legal authority behind the latest tariffs?<\/h2>\n<p>The Trump Administration used <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/19\/2411\">Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974<\/a> for the latest round of tariffs. Under the Act, the U.S. Trade Representative, subject to the President\u2019s direction, can impose levies and other sanctions on countries found to engage in unreasonable or discriminatory trade practices.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>During Trump\u2019s first-term Administration, Section 301 <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/5210793\/donald-trump-china-tariff\/\">played<\/a> a crucial role in the U.S. trade war with China.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In Trump\u2019s second-term Administration, more Section 301 tariffs are expected as the Office of the USTR continues its ongoing investigations, including <a href=\"https:\/\/ustr.gov\/about\/policy-offices\/press-office\/press-releases\/2026\/march\/ustr-initiates-section-301-investigations-relating-structural-excess-capacity-and-production\">one into whether 16 trading partners\u2014including China, the E.U., and Mexico\u2014are overproducing goods<\/a> and diminishing U.S. advantages in global markets. Earlier this month, Washington <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/article\/2026\/07\/16\/brazil-condemns-us-tariffs-lula-trump-greer\/\">imposed a 25% tariff on Brazil<\/a> through Section 301.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The latest regime comes after Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2026\/02\/25\/2026-03824\/imposing-a-temporary-import-surcharge-to-address-fundamental-international-payments-problems\">imposed tariffs<\/a> under Section 122 of the same act on Feb. 24. That, however, was merely a stopgap put in place after the Supreme Court ruling, as Section 122 of the Act specifies that such import surcharges can only be prescribed over 150 days unless Congress extends it.<\/p>\n<p>But the new tariffs are still likely to face a legal hurdle. Alan Wolff, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, wrote in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.piie.com\/blogs\/realtime-economics\/2026\/trumps-new-tariffs-over-forced-labor-are-unlikely-survive-court\">Thursday note<\/a>: \u201cThese new tariffs would represent another case of presidential overreach. If they were challenged in court, the Supreme Court would likely overturn them.\u201d Wolff, who also argues are likely to be ineffective at addressing global forced labor, says the Constitution vests the authority to determine and implement tariff policy in Congress, not the President.<\/p>\n<h2>How have affected economies reacted?<\/h2>\n<p>Several countries have called out the latest tariff policy, and the related accusations of underperformance in preventing forced labor. Australia\u2019s Trade Minister Don Farrell said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbs.com.au\/news\/article\/donald-trump-hit-australia-with-nonsense-12-5-per-cent-tarriffs\/x4qy0tc68\">statement<\/a> that the levies were \u201cunjustified\u201d and \u201cshould be removed,\u201d arguing that Australia\u2019s policies against forced labor and modern slavery \u201care among the strongest in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brazil, which faces a 12.5% tariff rate, accused the USTR in <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LulaOficial\/status\/2080441902839578861\">a statement<\/a> of \u201c[manipulating] an issue dear to human rights and the global struggle of workers for accusing 59 countries and the European Union of unfair practices.\u201d Brazil\u2019s government added that the new taxes can activate its \u201cReciprocity Law\u201d\u2014which could allow countermeasures\u2014and that it will bring the dispute to the World Trade Organization.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Canada, which faces a 10% tariff rate, took on a more neutral tone and said the U.S. action \u201cis not unexpected.\u201d Minister for Canada-U.S. Trade Dominic LeBlanc said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/global-affairs\/news\/2026\/07\/statement-by-minister-leblanc-on-the-imposition-by-the-us-of-section-301-tariffs-related-to-forced-labour-practices.html\">statement<\/a> that Ottawa \u201cshares the United States\u2019 objective of ensuring goods produced with forced labour do not enter our supply chains\u201d and is willing to continue \u201cengaging constructively\u201d with Washington on the issue.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to Radio New Zealand, New Zealand\u2019s Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay said he rejects insinuations of any support for forced labor in the Oceanic country. \u201cWe\u2019re not involved in it,\u201d McClay <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/politics\/783238\/nz-rejects-us-claims-of-forced-labour-as-tariffs-hiked\">said<\/a>. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t happen through our trade. It doesn\u2019t exist in New Zealand. But [the U.S. is] looking for any way to put a tariff rate back on.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A fishing boat passes a container ship floating off the Port of Los Angeles, Calif. on July 17, 2026. \u2014Mario Tama\u2014Getty Images New U.S. tariffs on 60 economies take effect Friday, in the latest recourse by President Donald Trump\u2019s Administration to impose alternative taxes on imported goods after the Supreme Court struck down most of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15873,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.time.com\/v3\/assets\/bltea6093859af6183b\/blt0f47ae2244353439\/6a633a9b0b2ea7a050738d3b\/trade.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15872","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15872","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15872"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15872\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}