Trump Administration Implements New Tariffs on 60 Trading Partners

Legal Strategy and Implementation

The administration of President Donald Trump launched this policy as a workaround after the Supreme Court rejected earlier, more stringent tariff measures. In February, the Supreme Court ruled against the administration, leading to the expiration of the previous 10% global tariff that had been implemented under a different law. That previous authorization allowed for a maximum duration of 150 days, which concluded this Friday.

Under the new system, countries with existing legislation to combat forced labor are subject to a 10% tariff, while those without such laws face the higher 12.5% rate. Senior White House officials stated during a call with reporters on Thursday that the President would not allow his trade policy and general goals to be undermined simply because one tool might be restricted by a court decision. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated, The United States has for nearly a century maintained a ban on the import of goods produced by forced labor and has strictly enforced it, and now it is time for our trading partners to follow suit.

The administration confirmed that these new duties will not be added on top of previously imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports under Section 232, which were enacted for national security reasons. Trade Representative noted that it is not possible to estimate the expected revenue from these new tariffs, a senior official described the move as the broadest international action related to labor rights taken by the United States or any other nation.

International Reaction and Economic Impact

Emmanuel Moulin, governor of the Bank of France, warned on Friday that the tariffs are increasing uncertainty surrounding the global economy. In an interview with the “BFM Business” television station, Moulin stated that while the situation for Europe should not change significantly due to the Turnberry golf resort agreement in Scotland in 2025, the tariffs represent an obstacle to global trade. It is clear that this increases the state of uncertainty in global trade, and it is also clear that it is not in the interest of growth, Moulin said.

The list of 60 countries subject to these tariffs includes a diverse range of partners, such as Argentina, Britain, Canada, Ecuador, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Jordan, and Israel. For some nations, including Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan, the new tariffs are applied alongside existing duties under the most-favored-nation principle.

Context of Trade Policy

This initiative follows a series of trade actions taken by the Trump administration. In April 2025, the President initiated his second term with tariffs ranging from 10% to 50% under the name Liberation Day, targeting imports from countries including China, the European Union, India, and Britain. The President had claimed those measures would bring trillions of dollars into the U.S.

Reports from the Financial Times indicate that the administration is also conducting other investigations that may grant it the legal authority to propose even higher tariffs in the future. As the administration seeks to reshape the President’s trade agenda following previous legal setbacks, officials continue to frame the current measures as a necessary step to address concerns regarding the use of forced labor.