Trump slaps new tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on 60 countries

US President Donald Trump's administration imposes new tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners, including Europe and China. This, over allegations of lax enforcement of forced labor bans, just as a temporary 10% global tariff expired.

The move is the White House's latest effort to restore US President Donald Trump's vision of a near-global tariff.

This, after the US Supreme Court in February struck down his "reciprocal" duties of 10% to 50% imposed under a national emergencies law to try to shrink the US trade deficit. The new tariffs cover 99.4% of US imports, but include numerous product exemptions, such as oil and gas, fertiliser and certain food items.

The US imposes a 10% duty on goods of Argentina, Bangladesh, Britain, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago.

The European Union, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland were assigned rates that, combined with pre-existing most-favoured-nation tariff rates, totaled 10% or 12.5%.

The other 38 countries were assigned a 12.5% rate. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says Washington "has had a forced labour import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it, it's well past time for our trading partners to do the same."

Greer says the action "will begin to correct what is both a human rights abuse and distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere."

The tariff prompts largely negative responses globally. Australia and Brazil describe the new tariffs as unjustified.

Australian Trade Minister DON FARRELL: "Look, can I say how disappointed we are in the decision of the United States trade representative to increase tariffs on some Australian products going into the United States. We do not believe it was justified. We believe that amongst all of the countries in the world Australia does take the issue of slavery, modern slavery, seriously and will continue to do that. But we think, and we believe, the (Australian Prime Minister Anthony) Albanese government believes that, this imposition of higher tariffs on Australia is completely unjustified and we will continue to lobby the United States trade representative to remove all tariffs on Australian goods."

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara says "it is regrettable that this measure to impose tariffs on the grounds of non-existent enforced bans on goods produced by forced labor, despite the fact that Japan's industry and trade are in accordance with international rules."

The European Commission says Brussels "notes positively the fact that this outcome is in line with the U.S. tariff commitments agreed under the EU-US Joint Statement," adding it provided "positive momentum" to continue the work on exploring further tariff exemptions and deepening cooperation. Britain says the move would have no negative effects.

Canada, hit on Monday with new Trump tariffs on $20 billion worth of goods, issues a muted response.