Updated July 24, 2026 — 7:59am,first published 7:24am
Washington: The United States will increase tariffs on Australian products to 12.5 per cent under the guise of human rights, after the US trade office determined Australia and 59 other countries were not doing enough to eliminate forced labour.
The decision means tariffs on Australian goods will rise from 10 per cent, which was the rate set under a temporary measure after the Supreme Court ruled President Donald Trump’s so-called “reciprocal tariffs” were unlawful.
The Australian government made a submission arguing that Australia maintained a robust legal architecture against modern slavery, albeit in a different form to the US. It also pointed out that Australia and the US have a 20-year-old free trade agreement.
But in a notice issued on Thursday (Washington time), the US trade office said it had decided to impose the tariffs on Australia anyway, based on public comments, testimony, the advice of its committee and “in accordance with the specific direction of the President”.
