US imposes tariffs on 60 countries following forced labour investigation

28 July 2026

The US has imposed new tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on goods from 60 trading partners, covering 99.4% of US imports, under s.301 of the Trade Act 1974 – Presidential memorandum. The announcement is accompanied by a Fact Sheet and a pre-published version of the Federal Register Notice.

The US Trade Representative (USTR)  began its investigation  into whether the trading practices of the 60 countries were unjustifiable, unreasonable, or discriminatory to US commerce under s301(b) of the Trade Act 1974 in March 2026.  It found that all 60 partners had failed to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour in June 2026, when it proposed  the 10%-12.5% tariffs.

Many products are exempted, including those that could result in economy-wide disruptions or domestic unavailability if subject to tariffs, and that cannot be grown or produced in sufficient quantities in the US. The USTR is entitled to modify or terminate the tariffs, exemptions, or tariff rate quotas for any economy, as appropriate and subject to the President’s discretion.