A new round of U.S. tariffs targeting imports from roughly 60 trading partners took effect Friday, replacing a temporary global duty that expired after 150 days and marking the latest escalation in President Donald Trump’s effort to reshape American trade policy.
The new tariffs, which range from 10% to 12.5%, affect many of the world’s largest economies, including China, India, Japan and members of the European Union. The measures prompted immediate criticism from several U.S. trading partners, who accused Washington of imposing unjustified unilateral trade barriers.
New Tariffs Replace Expired Duties
The latest tariffs replace a temporary 10% import duty the Trump administration imposed after the Supreme Court struck down a series of earlier tariffs in February, limiting the president’s ability to levy broad duties under the legal authorities previously used.
The replacement tariffs were first proposed in June following a months-long federal investigation and rely on Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, a legal authority widely viewed as more likely to withstand future court challenges.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the affected countries account for the majority of U.S. trade.
“The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” Greer said.
Two-Tier Tariff Structure
Under the new policy, countries that have enacted—or committed to enact—bans on imports produced with forced labor will face a 10% tariff.
Those countries include Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union and India.
Meanwhile, China, Japan, South Korea and dozens of other nations were assigned the higher 12.5% tariff rate.
Several countries, including the European Union, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland, received partial relief through previously negotiated trade agreements with the United States.
Trading Partners Push Back
The new tariffs drew swift criticism from several foreign governments.
Japan said it “regrets” the decision, while Australia’s trade minister described the new duties as “unjustified.”
China also condemned the move.
A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry said Beijing opposes “all forms of unilateral tariff measures” and warned that trade wars “are not in the interests of any party.”
The European Union struck a more conciliatory tone, saying the final tariff levels were consistent with commitments reached through a previous EU-U.S. joint trade agreement.
Some Products Exempt
Not all imports will be affected by the new duties.
Products already subject to sector-specific tariffs, including steel and aluminum, will remain under their existing trade rules.
Certain energy products, fertilizers and goods covered under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are also exempt from the new tariffs, according to administration officials.
More Tariffs Could Follow
The administration is simultaneously conducting investigations into 16 economies over concerns about excess industrial capacity.
Those probes could lead to additional tariffs or country-specific duty rates in the coming months.
Trade experts say maintaining a baseline tariff while preserving the option of imposing further duties gives the administration additional leverage in future negotiations.
Greta Peisch, a former general counsel for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, told AFP the investigations were designed to create tariffs that are more legally durable while encouraging trading partners to comply with existing agreements.
Protectionist Shift
Analysts say the latest actions signal that tariffs will remain a central feature of Trump’s economic agenda.
Josh Lipsky of the Atlantic Council told AFP the new legal approach makes it more likely the tariffs will remain in place throughout Trump’s second term, reflecting what he described as a “much more protectionist world’s largest economy.”
Former U.S. trade official Ryan Majerus also noted that Section 301 gives the administration broad flexibility to adjust tariffs as circumstances change.
The latest measures follow other recent trade actions by the administration, including a 25% tariff on various Brazilian goods over what Washington described as unfair trade practices and newly announced 50% tariffs on many Canadian products, citing what Trump called Canada’s discriminatory treatment of American alcohol, automobiles and dairy products.
Taken together, the actions underscore the administration’s continued reliance on tariffs as both an economic policy tool and a negotiating strategy, even as legal challenges and international opposition continue to shape the future of U.S. trade policy.
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