Trump slaps fresh tariffs on India, China and 58 others over forced labour concerns

The new duties, ranging from 10% to 12.5%, will take effect on Friday, replacing the temporary 10% tariff on foreign goods that was introduced earlier this year, according to a BBC report.

The move marks the latest escalation in the global trade conflict reignited under President Donald Trump's administration.

Earlier this year, the US Supreme Court ruled that many of the tariffs imposed globally under emergency powers had been enacted unlawfully.

Announcing the latest action, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) said US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, acting at President Trump's direction, had imposed the tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 on 60 economies for failing to impose and effectively enforce prohibitions on the importation of goods produced with forced labour.

According to the USTR, the decision followed extensive investigations that included two rounds of public hearings, more than 2,100 public comments, and consultations with trading partners aimed at addressing longstanding concerns over forced labour in global supply chains.

"President Trump recognises that decades of moral suasion have not eradicated forced labour from global supply chains. The United States has had a forced labour import ban for nearly a century and rigorously enforces it; it is well past time for our trading partners to do the same," Ambassador Greer said in a statement.

"Today's action will begin to correct what is both a human rights abuse and a trade-distorting practice, while improving the welfare of workers everywhere. I am encouraged by the trading partners that have moved quickly to adopt forced labour import prohibitions, and I look forward to ensuring their effective enforcement," he added.