Trump Reinstates Tariff Barrier: U.S. Imposes New Tariffs on 60 Countries

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is imposing new import tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on 60 countries—the “United States’ largest trading partners”—including European Union member states. The restrictions will take effect on Friday, July 24, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time (10:00 a.m. in Almaty) and will cover more than 99% of U.S. trade, according to a bulletin from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

CNBC notes that the new duties will effectively replace Trump’s 10 percent global tariffs, which are set to expire on Friday. The U.S. president imposed them in an effort to restore a protectionist tariff regime after the Supreme Court partially struck down his tariff policy, Bloomberg notes. The agency calls this move the most significant step in that direction in recent months.

The U.S. President’s Office cited an investigation into the use of forced labor in the supply chains of Washington’s trading partners as the reason for imposing the new tariffs. Thus, with regard to goods from 10 countries that, according to the investigation, “have imposed restrictions on forced labor,” — the U.S. decided to impose 10 percent tariffs (these countries include Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada, and India).

Tariffs on goods from the European Union and Taiwan will be at least 10%, while tariffs on products from Japan, Switzerland, and South Korea—at no less than 12.5%—“which is in line with the trade agreements they have concluded with the U.S.,” Bloomberg reports. Products from dozens of other countries will be subject to a 12.5% tariff, the agency notes, emphasizing, however, that imports of goods such as fuel, food, and fertilizers will be exempt from the new tariffs.

In addition, the new tariffs will not apply to imports of automobiles, metals, and medicines into the United States.

In an interview with Bloomberg, an unnamed senior White House official dismissed the suggestion that Trump is imposing new tariffs solely to replace those that were previously lifted. However, the official also emphasized that the U.S. president is using all the tools at his disposal and will not allow the Supreme Court’s ruling to undermine his trade policy.

This article is being updated

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor