Countries around the world are reacting to the latest tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration.
Friday’s reaction came a day after the U.S. government imposed new measures on more than 80 countries with tax rates on goods ranging from 10% to 12.5%.
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The administration justified the tax under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 by arguing that the countries in question did not adequately restrict imported goods made with forced labor. Many of the targeted countries reject this claim.
President Trump has aggressively imposed tariffs as part of a broader strategy to boost U.S. manufacturing and address what he describes as an unequal trade relationship. But he regularly faced major setbacks, and his signature reciprocal tariffs were ultimately deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The latest tariffs were imposed after another 10% global tariff reached its legal deadline Thursday night, prompting accusations that President Trump is once again abusing U.S. law.
Here are the reactions of allies and adversaries:
Australia
Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell denied any claims linking Australia, a major exporter of beef, gold and copper, to forced labor.
“I believe that, of all the countries in the world, Australia takes the issue of slavery, modern slavery, very seriously and I believe that we will continue to do so,” Mr Farrell told reporters in Adelaide.
Australia plans to “continue to lobby the United States” to eliminate tariffs.
new zealand
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the new tariffs were “very disappointing”.
“The U.S. investigation yielded no meaningful evidence to support the forced labor claims,” he wrote on social media.
England
A British government spokesperson said the tariffs would have “no negative change” to exports, despite being subject to the new US policy.
Previous trade deals between the US and UK have exempted some industries from further tariffs.
“We take forced labor very seriously to ensure British companies are not complicit in global supply chains,” a spokesperson said.
“The United States is aware of the measures the United Kingdom is taking, so there are no additional tariffs against the United Kingdom in this announcement.”
Japan
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara disputed the government’s claims.
“It is unfortunate that the tariffs were imposed because Japan does not have a system to ban the import of forced labor products, even though Japan’s industry and trade operates in accordance with international norms,” he said at a press conference on Friday.
But he added that Japan had “confirmed to the United States” that the total tariffs would not exceed the 15% stipulated in the trade deal reached between the two countries last year.
european union
The European Commission, the EU’s top executive body, expressed cautious optimism in response to the tariff announcement.
The new policy does not depart from previous trade agreements between the United States and the European Union, he said.
“The EU notes positively the fact that this outcome is in line with the US tariff commitments agreed in the EU-US Joint Statement,” a European Commission spokesperson said.
China
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the new 12.5% tariffs, reiterating China’s long-standing rejection of unilateral tariffs.
“Tariff wars and trade wars are not in the interests of any party,” ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press conference on Friday.
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet again in September, following their previous meeting in Beijing in May, where they finalized a new trade deal.
India
Indian textile and clothing exporters expressed concern over the new tariffs.
A top trade association pointed out that India was not included in the list of countries where exports of some products, especially those made from US cotton, are eligible for duty exemption.
Ashwin Chandran, chairman of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industries, said, “Due to discriminatory treatment, there is a risk that orders for textile and apparel procurement will be diverted from India.”
