By Kimberley Kao and Ying Xian Wong
Tariffs have returned to the forefront of global trade tensions after the U.S. unveiled a plan for new levies, drawing sharp backlash from Asian trading partners.
The Trump administration has proposed new tariffs of at least 10% on numerous trading partners, citing their alleged failure to adequately address forced labor concerns. This move is the administration's latest attempt to replace levies that the Supreme Court struck down earlier this year.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said late Tuesday that goods from more than a dozen economies, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan would face a new, 10% duty after an investigation found they hadn't done enough to block imports of goods made from forced labor.
Other countries, including China, Japan, and India, would face a higher 12.5% rate because they don't prohibit such imports and haven't committed to do so through a deal with the Trump administration, the USTR said.
