Jun 3, 2026 – 6.23pmThe Trump administration has proposed imposing a 12.5 per cent tariff on Australia and dozens of other countries after an official investigation found they had failed to stop goods made with forced labour from entering their markets.An investigation by the Office of the US Trade Representative, finalised on Wednesday, alleged the Australian government’s policies and practices had failed to effectively enforce a ban on slavery, making it harder for American businesses to compete fairly.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles
Trump threatens Australia with 12.5pc tariff
An investigation by the US Trade Representative has alleged Australia failed to prevent the import of goods produced using forced labour.
TL;DRAI
Trump proposes 12.5% tariff on Australia for failing to enforce forced-labour bans, protecting American business competition. Tech procurement must adapt: tariff-driven cost reassessment and stricter labour-compliance vendor vetting reshape IT infrastructure budgeting.
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