Trump imposes new double-digit tariffs on dozens of countries

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing reporting by The Associated Press, reported that US President Donald Trump is moving ahead with new double-digit tariffs on imports from dozens of US trading partners as a temporary tariff measure reaches its deadline. The new duties, ranging from 10 percent to 12.5 percent, will apply to imports from 60 countries that together account for nearly all US imports, according to the report.

The administration is justifying the action under a forced-labour trade provision, saying the targeted countries have not done enough to enforce bans on goods made with forced labour. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the move was intended to address both human rights concerns and trade distortions. The tariffs are set to begin as earlier 10 percent worldwide levies expire at 12:01am Friday in Washington, DC.

The report said Trump turned to the temporary tariffs after the Supreme Court rejected his broader tariff programme in February, ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act did not authorize those import taxes. The administration then used Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, but that authority is limited to 150 days. The new action relies instead on Section 301, a more established trade tool used in Trump’s first term against China and previously upheld in court challenges.

Al Jazeera also reported that additional Section 301 tariffs may follow, as Greer’s office is investigating whether 16 countries have overproduced goods in ways that depress prices and disadvantage US companies. The decision matters because it extends Trump’s shift away from decades of US trade policy favouring lower tariffs, while raising costs and uncertainty for importers and trading partners.