President Trump and New Tariffs Tied to the Abuse of Labor
Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
President Donald Trump is once again turning to economic tariffs, announcing new measures targeting roughly 80 nations that his administration says have failed to adequately address forced labor in their supply chains. The move risks creating fresh tensions with both rivals and longstanding allies, from China and Japan to Australia and the European Union.
The new tariffs range from 10% to 12.5%. Several governments, including Australia, have rejected the allegations, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s rapidly shifting trade policy.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said: “The United States has had a forced labour import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same.” He added: “I am encouraged by the trading partners who have moved quickly to adopt forced labor import prohibitions, and look forward to ensuring their effective enforcement.”
AP News reported: “The new tariffs took effect just as stopgap levies Trump imposed after a stinging defeat at the Supreme Court expired at 12:01 a.m. Friday.”
Australia’s Trade Minister Don Farrell rejected the criticism, saying: “We believe that amongst all of the countries in the world Australia does take the issue of slavery, modern slavery, seriously, and will continue to do that.”
Singapore adopted a more measured tone, with its Ministry of Trade and Industry stating it would “continue to engage the USTR (United States Trade Representative) to explore options.” Japan likewise remains hopeful that existing trade agreements will shield it from the new measures, although governments increasingly recognize Trump’s unpredictable approach to trade policy.
The Guardian noted the market reaction: “The Japanese Nikkei 225 has shed 3.1% today, while the Chinese SSE Composite is down 1.4%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index has also dropped 11.4%, and the South Korean Kospi, which is heavily influenced by its huge chip companies, has taken a brutal 6.2% hit.”
The United Kingdom insisted the tariffs would not affect British businesses, with a government spokesperson stating: “There is no negative change to the tariff rate facing UK businesses as a result of this announcement… We take forced labour very seriously to ensure that in global supply chains UK businesses are not complicit. The US has recognised the steps the UK is taking, which is why there are no additional tariffs for the UK under this announcement.”
The European Union adopted a firmer stance, declaring: “We did not agree with the premise of this investigation on forced labour. And we had communicated this, also to our US counterparts.” At the same time, tensions between Washington and Brussels remain elevated following Trump’s criticism of the EU’s substantial antitrust fine against Google.
It remains uncertain how broadly these tariffs will be enforced or whether they will have a lasting economic impact. Many governments maintain they are not complicit in forced labor, while Trump’s history of rapidly altering tariff policies leaves allies and competitors alike awaiting the next shift in US trade policy.
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