Australia faces new US tariffs over forced labour probe
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The news: Australia is among 45 countries facing new US government tariffs of 12.5% over forced labour concerns.
The numbers: The US investigated 60 trading partners over their efforts to enforce bans on forced labour.
According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, 54 of those countries “failed to impose a legal prohibition on the importation of goods produced wholly or in part with forced labour and to effectively enforce such a prohibition”.
The US probe concluded that Canada, the EU, Ecuador, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan “failed to effectively enforce a forced labour import prohibition”.
The trade department said it plans to impose 10% tariffs on imports from Canada, the EU, Britain, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan.
The remaining 45 countries, which include Australia, China and India, would face 12.5% duties.
The context: The new tariffs are among the first announced since the Supreme Court ruled President Trump’s 2025 “Liberation Day” tariffs were unlawful.
The sources: US Trade Department, BBC
