The US is threading a very specific needle with its trade policy. New tariffs aimed at punishing forced-labor practices are coming for dozens of economies, but Washington insists these duties won’t blow past the caps it already agreed to with key allies.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer confirmed on June 4 that the 15% tariff cap on imports from the European Union and Japan remains intact. The reassurance came just one day after the administration proposed fresh Section 301 tariffs that would hit goods from 60 economies deemed insufficiently aggressive on forced-labor enforcement.
New tariffs, old promises
The proposed forced-labor tariffs would slap an additional 10% duty on EU goods and 12.5% on Japanese goods. Both figures technically fall under the existing 15% ceiling, which means Washington can argue it’s playing by its own rules.
Greer was explicit that the new duties would not violate the previously negotiated caps. That includes the Turnberry framework agreement with the EU, a deal the administration clearly wants to preserve even as it ratchets up pressure elsewhere.
