US Announces New 10% Tariff on Imports from India and 16 Other Countries

The United States has announced a 10% tariff on imports from India and 16 other countries as part of its action against products allegedly manufactured using forced labour. The announcement was made by US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Greer announced the new tariff measures on Friday, covering a total of 60 countries. The decision comes one day before the expiry of the additional 10% tariff that had been imposed on all countries. According to the announcement, the new tariffs will come into effect from 12:00 a.m. on Friday night. Greer also praised trading partners that have taken swift action on the issue. He said he was encouraged by countries that moved quickly to ban imports of goods produced through forced labour and expressed hope that they would ensure effective enforcement of those measures. The 10% tariff will apply to 17 countries, including India, Canada, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. A federal note stated that India had previously been included in the proposed list of countries that would face a 12.5% tariff. It further said that following the tariff proposal announced in June, India decided to ban the import of products manufactured using forced labour.