Trump Potentially to Impose New Tariffs on Imports from 60 Countries

Washington (ANTARA) - US President Donald Trump is expected to impose new tariffs of 10 to 12.5 per cent on imports from 60 countries as early as this week.

The Financial Times, citing sources familiar with the plan, reported on Tuesday that the new policy could take effect after the current 10 per cent tariff on most US imports expires on Friday.

Officials are said to have prepared several options for Trump’s consideration.

The tariffs could be imposed following investigations into alleged forced labour, which would give the Trump administration a legal basis to circumvent restrictions after the US Supreme Court struck down the previous import tariffs Trump had imposed.

The report added that the initial tariff rate is expected to remain close to the current level of 10 per cent, while the government continues separate trade investigations that could later serve as grounds for imposing higher tariffs.

However, a number of senior officials are said to have advised Trump not to sharply escalate trade tensions and to maintain the agreements already reached with US trading partners in 2025.

Those officials warned that further escalation could trigger economic turmoil amid rising fuel prices and high living costs ahead of the mid-term elections.

On 3 June, the US Trade Representative (USTR) stated that the Trump administration had proposed new tariffs on imports from 60 countries, citing concerns over alleged forced labour.

The proposal includes an additional 10 per cent duty on imports from countries that have implemented or committed to full or partial bans on goods linked to forced labour, while an additional 12.5 per cent tariff was proposed for other countries.

In February, the US Supreme Court ruled that the tariffs Trump imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were unlawful.

Trump condemned the ruling, calling it “silly”, and subsequently ordered the application of a temporary 10 per cent tariff on all imports into the US for 150 days. He then announced an increase in import tariffs to 15 per cent for all countries.

On 7 May, the US Court of International Trade ruled that all the 10 per cent tariffs Trump had imposed on foreign imports were unlawful.