On Friday, July 24th, 2026, US President Donald Trump announced new double-digit tariffs on imports from 60 countries, covering 99 percent of US imports. These tariffs range between 10 and 12.5 percent and target countries accused of insufficiently enforcing bans on goods produced by forced labour.

This move comes as previous 10 percent stopgap levies were set to expire, following a setback at the US Supreme Court earlier this year that struck down Trump’s largest tariffs. To establish a more durable legal basis, the administration is now invoking Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows the president to impose import taxes and sanctions against countries engaging in "unjustifiable," "unreasonable," or "discriminatory" trade practices.

Trump also cited the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to declare the US’s longstanding trade deficit a national emergency, justifying the imposition of these tariffs on imports from nearly every country.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer emphasized the longstanding US ban on forced labour imports, stating, “The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same.”

Additionally, Greer’s office has launched an investigation into whether 16 countries, accounting for 70 percent of US imports, have overproduced goods, potentially depressing prices and disadvantaging US companies globally. This probe may lead to further Section 301 tariffs.

John Diamond, director of the Center for Tax and Budget Policy at the Baker Institute, noted that the administration sought new authority to replace expiring tariffs and chose to utilize Section 301 for this purpose.

This announcement coincided with the expiration of the previous temporary levies, marking a significant development in US trade policy under President Trump.

Sources