Trump Imposes New Double-Digit Tariffs on Dozens of Countries

Washington DC. US President Donald Trump has announced the imposition of new double-digit tariffs on dozens of countries trading with the United States. He took this new step just as the deadline for the 10 percent global tariff, temporarily imposed after his ambitious tariff policy was overturned by the Supreme Court, was about to expire on Friday.

Under the new system, the US will impose tariffs of 10 to 12.5 percent on goods imported from 60 countries. Imports from these 60 countries account for 99 percent of the US's total imports.

The US administration has accused those countries of not effectively enforcing the ban on goods produced using forced labor.

In a statement released on Thursday, US Trade Representative Jamison Greer said, 'The United States has banned the import of goods produced by forced labor for nearly a century and strictly enforces it. Now it is time for our trading partners to adopt the same standard.'

He claimed that this step would help end human rights violations and unfair competition in trade, and protect the interests of workers worldwide.

New Tariffs Effective Friday

The new tariffs will take effect on Friday at 12:01 AM Washington time (04:01 GMT). At the same time, the temporary 10 percent global tariff previously imposed by Trump will automatically expire.

In February, the US Supreme Court overturned the broad tariffs imposed by Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977, stating they lacked a legal basis. Following the court's decision, the US government had to refund the amount to importers who had paid those tariffs.

Reliance on the Trade Act of 1974

This time, Trump has imposed new tariffs using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.

Under this provision, if a country is found to be engaging in unfair, unreasonable, or discriminatory trade practices, the US President can impose import taxes or other trade restrictions on such countries.

In his first term, Trump used the same section to impose high tariffs on China, which were upheld despite being challenged in court.

Investigation into More Countries

The Office of the US Trade Representative has also initiated investigations into 16 other countries. These countries are suspected of overproduction, driving down prices in the global market, and weakening US companies in competition.

Imports from these 16 countries account for approximately 70 percent of the US's total imports. However, the investigation into this matter is not yet complete.

Trump's Trade Policy

Trump has claimed that high tariffs will revive the US manufacturing industry. Last year, he reversed the US policy of prioritizing low tariffs and free trade, which had been in place for decades, and imposed double-digit tariffs on imports from most countries.

At that time, he declared the US's long-term trade deficit a national emergency and imposed tariffs under the IEEPA. However, after the Supreme Court ruled that the law did not grant the authority to impose tariffs, the administration was forced to seek another legal basis.

Subsequently, Trump imposed a temporary 10 percent global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. However, as tariffs imposed under this section can only remain in effect for a maximum of 150 days, its deadline is expiring on Friday.