U.S. Imposes Tariffs on Goods from 60 Economies Due to Failure to Curb Forced Labor
Estimated reading time: 3–5 minutes
The United States has announced new tariffs on goods from 60 different economies. This decision is because these economies have not stopped the import of items made with forced labor.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) decided to impose these tariffs. A tariff is a kind of tax put on imported goods.
Tariffs of 10% or 12.5% will apply depending on whether an economy has taken steps against forced labor. Economies with some measures against forced labor will face a 10% tariff. Others will face a 12.5% tariff.
There are exceptions. Certain products will not have tariffs if they are raw materials that are hard to get in the U.S. or if tariffs would cause big problems.
Goods from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia might get a special treatment. These countries might get a limit on tariffs if they import U.S. cotton and other goods.
Products loaded on ships before July 24, 2026, might avoid these tariffs. But they must arrive before July 28, 2026.
The goal of these tariffs is to encourage economies to stop buying goods made with forced labor. Public comments and hearings were held before making this decision. More than 1,600 comments were received, and over 100 people spoke in public hearings.
Certain products, including those necessary for health, or those that have no replacement in the U.S., are exempted. Items related to civil aircrafts and some art pieces are also exempt.
The tariffs will become applicable starting from 12:01 a.m. eastern time on July 24, 2026. However, a few goods shipped earlier will not be affected if they arrive before July 28.
The U.S. hopes these new tariffs will push other countries to follow rules against forced labor.
Legal Disclaimer
This article includes content collected from the Federal Register (federalregister.gov). The content is not an official government publication. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For case-specific consultation, please contact us. Read our full Legal Disclaimer, which also includes information on translation accuracy.
