Trump renews 10% tariff on UK goods hours before temporary levies expire

Donald Trump is set to impose a new 10 per cent import duty on British goods and 59 other countries as existing time-limited duties imposed by the president in response to his Supreme Court defeat expire on Friday.

US trade representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer confirmed the accusations at the direction of the US president, citing allegations that 60 countries are not doing enough to enforce bans on products produced using forced labor.

However, under the rules, the UK may be entitled to exemptions for products that would encourage compliance with this commitment.

The new tariffs come just hours before provisional 10 percent duties that Britain was already subject to expire after the Supreme Court overturned Trump’s previous import duty regime in February. He is now seeking a more durable system using a 1974 trade law.

The US administration said the tariffs would be imposed on 60 economies “for their failure to prohibit and effectively enforce imports of goods produced with forced labor.”

He added that the action follows investigations by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), which included public hearings, more than 2,100 public comments and discussions with trading partners “to address these long-standing concerns.”

Mr. Greer said: “President Trump recognizes that decades of moral suasion have not eliminated forced labor from global supply chains.

“The United States has banned forced labor for nearly a century, and has enforced it rigorously. It is long past time for our trading partners to do the same.

“Today’s action will begin to correct a distorted trade practice that is both a violation of human rights and an attempt to improve the well-being of workers everywhere.

“I am encouraged by trading partners who are swiftly implementing forced labor import bans, and I look forward to ensuring their effective implementation.”

However, USTR said there may also be product exemptions if tariffs would cause domestic shortages of raw materials, cause economy-wide disruptions, or if items cannot be grown or produced in the United States in sufficient quantities or at a reasonable price.

There will also be an exemption for products from the United Kingdom and other named countries that would “encourage these economies to meet commitments on forced labor import bans or to enact and effectively enforce forced labor import bans.”

Tariffs are paid by companies that import foreign products into the United States and often cover the costs by charging consumers higher prices.

Americans are already fed up with the high cost of living, so the administration is risking imposing new tariffs ahead of critical midterm elections in November.

The UK exports more to the US than any other country.

In 2024, UK exports to the US were worth £66bn; this accounted for 17 per cent of all UK goods exports.

The Economic Prosperity Agreement reached between the two countries last year aimed to ease the impact of US tariffs on UK industries and deepen trade ties.

A Government spokesman said: “There is no change to the tariff rate faced by UK businesses as a result of this announcement.

“The UK imposes a 10 per cent tariff and the privileged access guaranteed under our agreement with the US remains in place.

“We take forced labor very seriously and are ensuring that businesses in UK global supply chains are not complicit in forced labor and human rights abuses.

“The US has recognized the steps taken by the UK, so there are no additional tariffs for the UK under this announcement.”

The full list of 60 countries: