People watch as the Doris Ocean container ship leaves the Port of Los Angeles on May 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has proposed imposing additional tariffs of up to 12.5% on imports from 60 countries for failing to ban products made with forced labor, a drastic measure that would hurt most trading partners, including China, the European Union and Japan.
The decision, made under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, found that all 60 countries have failed to impose or effectively enforce forced labor-related import bans, creating what it called an “unequal playing field” for U.S. workers.
USTR is proposing a 10% tariff for economies that have adopted a full or partial ban on forced labor trade, and a 12.5% tariff for all other economies.
Trade officials also proposed a separate textile mechanism that would allow certain imports of clothing and textile products from some countries to enter the United States at discounted rates.
“It is unacceptable that our most important trading partners do not address imports of products made with forced labor, creating a dynamic that forces American workers to compete globally on an unequal playing field,” said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
“We will no longer tolerate this disparity. Some trading partners have taken initial steps to stop the importation of forced labor items, including through USMCA and reciprocal trade agreement commitments. But each of our trading partners must do more to ensure that trade does not perversely encourage and entrench forced labor around the world.”
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