US Proposes Additional 12.5 Percent Tariff on Some Countries After Forced Labor Probe

The Trump administration has proposed imposing tariffs of up to 12.5 percent on imports from dozens of trading partners over concerns that they failed to enforce import bans on goods made with forced labor. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said on June 2 that it had finalized its months-long investigations into 60 trade partners to determine whether their trade practices allow products made with forced labor to enter U.S. markets. On March 11, the USTR launched investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorizes tariffs on U.S. trade partners overseeing unfair trade practices. Trade Ambassador Jamieson Greer said at the time that the probes would examine whether their practices discriminate against or burden U.S. commerce....