The Trump administration is proposing a new 10% tariff on dozens of trading partners, including Canada, following a probe into imports of goods allegedly made with forced labour.
The report from the U.S. Trade Representative says Canada, Mexico, Taiwan and the United Kingdom would face 10% additional tariffs for failing to enforce a forced labour import ban.
A 12.5% additional tariff would be imposed on China, Japan, India, South Korea, Brazil and Switzerland, along with dozens of other countries.
The U.S. government says that failure to prevent such imports is “unreasonable and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce.”
The new tariffs are likely to unsettle trading partners that have been hit by waves of duties since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office in 2025.
The European Union (EU) recently approved a deal with the U.S. that caps tariffs on most exports at 15% following intense negotiations.
Trump recently returned from a visit to China, where he discussed expanding market access for American businesses and increasing Chinese investments in the U.S.
A Chinese government spokesperson denied the forced labour allegation and called for resolving economic issues through dialogue rather than a trade war.
The new tariffs would not take effect immediately. They are subject to public comment and review. Public hearings on the new duties are scheduled to begin on July 7 of this year.
The U.S. defines forced labour as “work or service exacted from a person under the menace of any penalty for its non-performance and for which the worker does not offer himself voluntarily.”
The U.S. cites an estimate by the United Nations that, as of 2021, 27.6 million people were engaged in forced labour around the world.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in February of this year that Trump had overstepped his authority by imposing sweeping tariffs on U.S. trading partners.
The Trump administration has said it plans to appeal a federal order making all companies that paid tariff duties eligible for refunds.
Canada is currently renegotiating its free trade agreement with the U.S. and Mexico.
