The US proposes imposing new tariffs on 60 trading partners.

The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has just announced a proposal to impose a new round of tariffs on imported goods from 60 trading partners, in what is seen as the biggest effort by the Trump administration to re-establish trade protectionism after some previous tariffs were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

According to an announcement made on the night of June 2nd local time, the minimum base tariff will be 10% for goods imported from many major trading partners, including Canada, Mexico, the European Union (EU), Taiwan (China), and the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, goods from China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and Switzerland will be subject to a higher tariff of 12.5%.

The USTR said the new measures are based on Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, following an investigation into whether U.S. trading partners are adequately implementing measures to prevent goods produced with forced labor.

According to the agency, countries subject to higher tariffs are believed to have failed to enact or effectively enforce regulations to prevent the import and circulation of products linked to forced labor.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer argues that the failure of some key trading partners to adequately address this issue has created an unfavorable competitive environment for American workers.

He emphasized that the US would no longer tolerate goods produced with forced labor entering global supply chains, and called on trading partners to strengthen enforcement measures to ensure that international trade does not facilitate labor rights violations.

According to the plan, the proposal will be put forward for public comment in the near future. Hearings are scheduled to begin on June 22nd, with the deadline for written comments extending to July 6th, and public hearings taking place from July 7th.

Commenting on this move, Deborah Elms, an expert at the Singapore-based Hinrich Foundation, suggested that many of America's trading partners might react negatively to the new proposal. She argued that using Section 301 could pave the way for additional tariff and non-tariff measures in the future.

The new proposal comes after the U.S. Supreme Court in February rejected some tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), arguing that the act does not give the president the power to unilaterally impose large-scale tariff measures without congressional approval.

Following the ruling, the Trump administration moved to use other legal tools under the Trade Act of 1974, including Sections 122 and 301, to continue its protectionist trade program and increase pressure on America's trading partners.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/my-de-xuat-ap-thue-moi-doi-voi-60-doi-tac-thuong-mai-post1114376.vnp