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United States – The United States has imposed new tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on imports from about 60 trading partners, including the European Union, China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Switzerland, Norway and Australia, according to the US Trade Representative. Announced on Thursday and taking effect Friday morning, the measures apply to countries that collectively account for 99.4% of US imports and coincide with the lapse of a separate 10% near-blanket duty that the Supreme Court deemed unlawful earlier this year. The administration said it timed the rollout to avoid overlap with the expired duties and to give businesses more predictability after a period of shifting tariff policies under President Donald Trump. Washington, DC – Senior White House officials said the new tariffs follow a monthslong investigation by the US Trade Representative into allegations that foreign suppliers use forced labor and that their governments have failed to address the practice. Some countries that took steps against forced labor qualified for the lower 10% rate, while others face a 12.5% duty, which officials said they are prepared to keep in place. Several governments, including the European Union, Switzerland, Brazil and Australia, have publicly rejected the forced labor allegations or called the tariffs unjustified, though Norway said it does not plan to retaliate. US officials said most Americans are unlikely to see immediate price increases because many importers were already paying similar duties, and they emphasized that Trump intends to keep using trade tools such as Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to advance his policy objectives.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.