Trump administration to impose fresh wave of tariffs on more than 80 countries | Trump administration
Donald Trump’s administration has introduced a new wave of sweeping tariffs to replace the 10% global tariff that was set to expire early Friday morning, the latest phase of its aggressive trade policy.
The United States will impose tariffs of 10 percent to 12.5 percent on more than 80 countries, U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer announced late Thursday. These taxes would fall under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, which targets countries that practice forced labor.
“Today’s action will begin to correct both human rights violations and distorted business practice to improve the well-being of workers everywhere,” Greer said in a statement. “I am encouraged by trading partners who have swiftly implemented forced labor import bans and look forward to ensuring their effective implementation.”
Trump’s tariff policy suffered a damaging blow in February when the US supreme court ruled that most of these tariffs were illegal. While the US has replaced these tariffs with a 10% tariff regime across much of the world, these are expected to expire on Friday.
Trump and his officials have claimed that his controversial trade agenda would help revitalize the US’s industrial centers and increase employment. But his tariff policies have faced several setbacks since they were first introduced last year, and critics have warned that his far-reaching tariffs risk driving up prices across the country.
Inflation in the US hit a three-year high earlier this year. But during a heated debate before U.S. senators on Wednesday, Greer claimed Trump’s policies were not driving up prices.
Asked by Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren whether the tariffs would raise prices for American families, Greer replied, “No.”
“Core inflation fell to 2.6% year-on-year, which is much better than January 2025,” he said. Food and energy are not included in core inflation. Overall inflation is slightly higher than when Joe Biden left office.
More details coming soon…
