• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • SCB YouTube
  • About Us
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Parcel & Express
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Robotics
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Customer Relationship Management
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • Green Energy
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Management & Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Warehouse Automation
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • THINK TANK
  • WEBINARS
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Webinar Library
  • PODCASTS
  • WHITEPAPERS
  • VIDEOS
Home » Trump Begins Rebuilding His Tariff Wall Citing Forced Labor

Trump Begins Rebuilding His Tariff Wall Citing Forced Labor

The U.S. Capitol Building juxtaposed against hundred-dollar bills and a container ship docked at a port

Photo: iStock / Douglas Rissing

June 3, 2026
Bloomberg

The U.S. is proposing new tariffs of at least 10% on imports from 60 trading partners in President Donald Trump’s biggest move to rebuild his protectionist wall since his earlier levies were struck down by the Supreme Court.

Following an investigation into how trade partners handle goods allegedly produced by forced labor, a 10% tariff rate would apply to imports from Canada, Mexico, the European Union, Taiwan and the U.K., among other places, according to a statement late on June 2 from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. 

Products from other major economies, including China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and Switzerland, would be subject to a 12.5% levy.

USTR said it was imposing the lower rate on goods from economies that impose prohibitions on forced labor imports or have committed to doing so, while those “that have failed to impose and effectively enforce” them received a higher rate.

Beijing denied the allegations and criticized Trump’s move, while an official in Tokyo said Japan is in close contact with counterparts in Washington about the matter. The EU called it unjustified, and added that the bloc would respect the terms of its trade accord with the U.S. 

The move is a major step in Trump’s push to reinstate the tariffs he imposed during his first year in office before they were deemed unconstitutional. The recommended duties are a result of probes launched under a separate legal authority known as Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.

Read More: U.S. to Levy 25% Tariff on Brazil, After 301 Investigation

A separate raft of 301 investigations includes a review of U.S. trading partners’ excess manufacturing capacity, the findings of which may also be released soon. Trade analysts are speculating whether any future duties from that probe would be stackable on top of those proposed under the forced labor investigation. 

“Trade partners will be understandably upset by this determination,” said Deborah Elms, head of trade policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore. “You’ve opened a door now for a whole lot of new tariff and non-tariff adjustments,” she added.

U.S. stock futures were little changed after the news, with investors focused on the standoff in the Middle East. In Europe, the main benchmark fell as automakers such as Volkswagen AG and Mercedes-Benz Group AG underperformed.

The levies arrive at a pivotal time for the global economy, with financial markets already on edge over the Iran war and energy prices staying elevated. That’s fueled new fears about inflation, and in the U.S. exacerbated affordability concerns among voters that threaten Trump’s Republican Party in November’s midterm elections.

The levies won’t go into effect immediately, and are subject to a public comment and review period before implementation, which could result in changes before any duties are codified. Written comments are due to be submitted by July 6, and a Section 301 panel is expected to convene public hearings beginning on July 7, according to the notice.

Explained: How Trump Can (Try to) Impose Tariffs

With new tariffs comes additional complexity and costs, according to business groups. 

“Applying a single investigatory framework across 60 economies, including longstanding U.S. allies and parties to existing bilateral trade agreements, will create significant compliance uncertainty for businesses operating in global supply chains,” International Chamber of Commerce Secretary-General John Denton said in a statement on June 3. 

The USTR investigated whether the economies involved had failed to impose a forced labor import prohibition or effectively enforce such a prohibition. “None of the 60 economies whose acts, policies, and practices are the subject of these investigations effectively enforce a forced labor import prohibition,” it found. 

“This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement. “We will no longer tolerate this disparity.”

Citing the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005, the USTR flagged 34 goods in particular countries that are made with inputs produced with forced labor. Those included cotton used for garments, critical minerals for solar products, fish used for fish oil and fish meal, and palm fruit used for palm oil.

The move will test the tolerance of the largest U.S. economic partners, who have largely restrained from retaliating against Trump’s tariffs, opting instead to negotiate deals to lower import taxes and ensure market access.

“Any tariffs on Australian exports to the United States are unjustified and inconsistent with our free trade agreement,” Australia’s trade ministry said. India’s commerce ministry said in a statement that New Delhi “remains engaged with the U.S. on the matter.”

The new levies also pose questions about the stability of a truce with China following a summit between Trump and counterpart Xi Jinping in May, which saw them agree to establish new boards on trade and investment to manage the relationship between the world’s two largest economies.

“Because it is not only targeting China, I believe there should still be some room for communication and dialog between Beijing and Washington,” said Zhu Feng, dean of the School of International Studies at Nanjing University. “If additional Section 301 follow-up actions are rolled out successively, it will indeed pose new challenges to the ‘Beijing Consensus.’”

Beijing last month indicated that it would accept some increase in U.S. tariffs to a level agreed upon in October. 

Other Investigations

There are also several proposed exceptions to the tariff regime. 

Apparel and textile imports from some countries would be able to enter the U.S. at a reduced tariff rate — with those quotas set according to the volume of U.S. exports of textiles to those nations. 

Other products are exempt from the tariffs entirely, including beef, tomatoes, bananas, coffee, orange juice and other food items. Metals, which are already covered by other levies, are excluded, as are certain fuels and chemicals. 

And the new policy won’t apply to goods that are exempt from tariffs because they’re compliant with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. 

Speaking in Ottawa on June 3, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the exemption means Canada continues have the best deal among U.S. trading partners, with mostly tariff-free trade between the two countries. The new U.S. measure wasn’t a surprise, and Canada shares the objective to clamp down on products made with forced labor, he said. 

Trump’s broad trade agenda suffered a sharp blow in February when the Supreme Court struck down levies he imposed using emergency powers. 

As a stopgap measure, the president also implemented a 10% global levy under Section 122 of the trade law, though those import taxes expire in July. The Section 122 tariffs are themselves subject to an ongoing legal challenge.

Section 301 tariffs are seen as more legally sound and flexible than other powers Trump has eyed, but also more time-consuming. 

The Hinrich Foundation’s Elms said the imposition of the newly announced tariffs is likely to coincide with the expiry of the Section 122 levies, once consultation and hearings wrap up. 

Greer has said the goal was to complete a series of trade investigations to allow Trump to quickly enact new tariffs after the outgoing measures expire.

    RELATED CONTENT

    RELATED VIDEOS

    Global Trade & Economics HR & Labor Management Regulation & Compliance Aerospace & Defense Apparel Automotive Chemicals & Energy Consumer Packaged Goods E-Commerce/Omni-Channel Food & Beverage Healthcare High-Tech/Electronics Industrial Manufacturing Pharmaceutical/Biotech Retail
    • Related Articles

      New Actions from the White House Highlight the Difficulty of Tracing Forced Labor in Supply Chains

      U.S. Blocks Uniqlo Shirts on Xinjiang Forced-Labor Concerns

      France Cracks Down on Temu, Shein Amid Concerns Over Alleged Forced Labor

    • Related Directories

      Tecsys, Inc.

      ProcureAbility

    Bloomberg

    Heat Wave Lowers Rhine Levels, Straining Fuel Supply Chains

    More from this author

    Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter!

    Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

    Featured Product

    Popular Stories

    • A GLEAMING TUNNEL OF LIGHTS CURVES AWAY INTO A HORN

      Gartner: Top 25 Supply Chain Organizations Are Embracing AI

      Global Logistics
    • HANDS TYPE ON A KEYBOARD UNDER A SUPER IMPOSED DIGITIZED MAP OF THE WORLD, ALONG WITH IMAGES OF A SHIP, A SHOPPING CART AND OTHER SYMBOLS OF INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS

      Five Demand-Forecasting Mistakes Supply Chain Leaders Are Rethinking

      Technology
    • The outside of Oracle Corporation's corporate headquarters located in Silicon Valley. Photo: iStock.com/Sundry Photography

      Oracle Cuts 21,000 Jobs, More to Come From AI

      Technology
    • 037_a_roadmap_for_the_ai_journey_v1-(540p).png

      Watch: A Roadmap for the AI Journey

      Artificial Intelligence
    • UYGHUR COTTON CHINA UAR TRADE BAN iStock-Gujiang xie-1390673465.jpg

      Canada Ditches Supply Chain Human Rights Watchdog

      Global Trade & Economics

    Digital Edition

    2026 esg cover main scb q2 2026 cover

    SupplyChainBrain 2026 ESG Guide: ESG — The Supply Chain’s Biggest Secret

    VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

    Case Studies

    • Recycled Tagging Fasteners: Small Changes Make a Big Impact

    • A GRAPHIC SHOWING MULTIPLE FORMS OF SHIPPING, WITH A HUMAN STANDING AT THE CENTER, TOUCHING A SYMBOLIC MAP OF THE WORLD

      Enhancing High-Value Electronics Shipment Security with Tive's Real-Time Tracking

    • A GRAPHIC OF INTERLACING HONEYCOMBED ELEMENTS REPRESENTING GLOBAL BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS

      Moving Robots Site-to-Site

    • JLL Finds Perfect Warehouse Location, Leading to $15M Grant for Startup

    • Robots Speed Fulfillment to Help Apparel Company Scale for Growth

    Visit Our Sponsors

    4flow Arkieva Blue Yonder
    Carton Cloud CoEnterprise Dassault
    Duravant E2Open General Logistics Systems
    Hy-Tek iGPS Korber
    Lyngsoe Procurability Quinyx
    SAP Sikick Systech
    S&P Global Mobility TADA TransImpact
    US Bank Werner Enterprises WSI
    • More From SCB
      • Featured Content
      • Video Library
      • Think Tank Blog
      • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
      • Whitepapers
      • On-Demand Webinars
      • Upcoming Webinars
    • Digital Offerings
      • Digital Issue
      • Subscribe
      • Manage Email Preferences
      • Newsletters
    • Resources
      • Events Calendar
      • 2026 Event Coverage
      • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
      • Supplier Directory
      • Case Study Showcase
      • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
      • 100 Great Partners Form
    • SCB Corporate
      • Advertise on SCB.COM
      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Contact Us
      • Data Sharing Opt-Out

    All content copyright ©2026 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

    Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing