A view of a container ship at the Port of Los Angeles in California on May 28. MARIO TAMA/AFP
The US government's latest tariff threats have met with strong global opposition. Experts said that Washington's protectionist policies will only hasten the decline of its global influence.
This latest tariff offensive, announced by the Office of the US Trade Representative last week, targets imports from 60 economies, including allies such as the European Union and Australia, as well as major trading partners such as China and India.
The US proposed tariffs of up to 12.5 percent, citing investigations that showed these nations failed to curb trade in goods made with "forced labor".
Experts said this proposal represents the US government's latest attempt to rebuild its tariff system, following a significant legal setback in February when the US Supreme Court invalidated broad tariffs imposed by the federal government under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
