U.S. says it plans extra tariffs of 10% or more for most trading partners after forced labor probe

By — Paul Wiseman, Associated Press Paul Wiseman, Associated Press By — Elaine Kurtenbach, Associated Press Elaine Kurtenbach, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/u-s-says-it-plans-extra-tariffs-of-10-or-more-for-most-trading-partners-after-forced-labor-probe Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter U.S. says it plans extra tariffs of 10% or more for most trading partners after forced labor probe Economy Jun 3, 2026 4:18 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is in a hurry to rebuild the tariff wall the Supreme Court tore down less than four months ago. The administration this week has proposed slapping double-digit tariffs on products from dozens of major U.S. trading partners after an investigation into imports of goods allegedly made with forced labor. And more tariffs are likely coming. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Under the proposal released in Washington late Tuesday, 16 economies — including Canada, Mexico, the European Union, Taiwan and the United Kingdom — would face 10% levies for allegedly failing to enforce bans on forced labor. Another 44 trading partners — including China, Japan, India, South Korea and Switzerland — would be hit with 12.5% import taxes. The tariffs are part of Trump's push to replace revenue lost when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down sweeping global tariffs he'd imposed last year. This latest barrage is likely to unsettle key trading partners that have been hit with waves of tariffs since Trump returned to the White House early last year. WATCH: What's next for consumers and the economy after the Supreme Court's tariff ruling "The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labor is unacceptable," U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement. "This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field." Greer's office said failure to prevent such imports is "unreasonable and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce." Trump's tariffs are paid by U.S. importers who usually try to pass along those higher costs to customers. WATCH: How upcoming tariff refunds may affect U.S. businesses and consumers The administration, mindful that Americans are growing increasingly unsettled by high prices with midterm elections just months away, said that it would limit the impact by exempting from the latest proposed tariffs a long list of products, including aircraft parts, food products (from coffee to beef) and rare earth minerals crucial in the production of smartphones and cars. Also spared would be products from Canada and Mexico covered by a North American trade pact. The new tariffs would not take effect immediately. They are subject to public comment and review. Public hearings on the proposed duties are due to begin on July