Trump proposes tariffs on 60 partners

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on June 2 proposed new tariffs on imports from 60 economies after Section 301 investigations found they had failed to impose or effectively enforce bans on goods made with forced labor. The proposal would add duties of at least 10% and, for many economies, 12.5%, according to USTR. The move is the Trump administration’s latest effort to rebuild tariffs after earlier levies were struck down by the Supreme Court, according to CBS, ABC and Bloomberg. ### What exactly did the administration propose? USTR said 60 economies were found to have acts, policies or practices tied to failures to block imports produced with forced labor, making them actionable under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The agency published a report and proposed additional tariffs as the remedy. (ustr.gov) CNBC and trade-law summaries said the tariff rates split into two tiers. Economies with a forced-labor import ban, partial enforcement measures or commitments through trade agreements would generally face an added 10% duty, while others would face 12.5%. ### Which countries and blocs are in the line of fire? (ustr.gov) ABC News reported the proposed measures cover major U.S. trading partners including the European Union, China, Mexico and Canada. CBS said the list also includes the United Kingdom, while Reuters coverage carried by U.S. News said 16 economies — among them Canada, Mexico, the EU, Taiwan and the United Kingdom — would face the 10% tier. (cnbc.com) USTR’s findings apply to 60 economies in total. EY’s summary of the agency action said 54 were found to have failed both to impose and effectively enforce prohibitions, while six — Canada, Ecuador, the European Union, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan — were found to have partial regimes but inadequate enforcement. (abcnews.com) ### Why is the White House using forced labor as the basis? Jamieson Greer said in USTR’s statement that the failure of major trading partners to address goods made with forced labor was “unacceptable” and created unfair competition for U.S. workers and businesses. USTR framed the cases as trade practices that burden or restrict U.S. commerce. (globaltaxnews.ey.com) The legal vehicle is Section 301, not the authorities the administration used for some earlier Trump tariffs. CBS, ABC and Bloomberg all said the proposal comes after the Supreme Court struck down earlier parts of the administration’s tariff program, and outside analysts have described the forced-labor cases as a new route for imposing broad duties. (ustr.gov) ### Does this take effect now? The tariffs are not in effect yet. USTR said it is accepting public comments on the proposed duties and on other possible remedies through July 6, and a public hearing is scheduled for July 7 in Washington. (cbsnews.com) The docket for submissions is listed in the Federal Register under USTR-2026-0133. The March 17 notice launched the investigations and set out the comment process tied to the forced-labor inquiries. (usnews.com) ### Where could the immediate pressure show up? Bloomberg, CBS and ABC described the proposal as one of the broadest tariff actions of Trump’s second term because it reaches across dozens of trading partners at once. That breadth means the exposure would not be limited to one country or one industry if the duties are finalized. (federalregister.gov) Trade-law analyses said the proposal covers imports broadly from the named economies, with carve-outs and product details to be tested through the comment process. That leaves manufacturers, retailers, logistics firms and other import-dependent businesses watching the July hearing and any final USTR action for scope and timing. (bloomberg.com) July 6 is the deadline for written comments, and July 7 is the date USTR says it will hold the public hearing before deciding whether to finalize the tariffs. (usnews.com) (internationaltradeinsights.com)