EU, Brazil and Partners Decry Trump’s New Tariffs as Unjustified

EU, Brazil and Partners Decry Trump’s New Tariffs as Unjustified

President Donald Trump’s newly imposed “forced‑labor” related tariffs have drawn criticism from key trading partners such as the European Union, Australia, Brazil and others, who deem the levies unjustified and say the White House has not explained the rationale behind them.

Key Facts

At the ASEAN foreign ministers’ summit, European Commission Vice‑President Kaja Kallas stated that the forced‑labor claim cannot justify tariffs against the EU.

She contrasted EU labor standards with those in the United States, emphasizing that member states provide paid leave and maintain high labor conditions, and said the justification for the tariff was unsubstantiated.

The Brazilian government, which has previously disputed the Trump administration, asserted that the tariffs have no legal foundation and accused the U.S. of exploiting human‑rights and labor concerns to advance a protectionist trade agenda.

Brazil declared it would promptly retaliate using its reciprocity law.

Australia’s Trade Minister Don Farrell described the tariffs as unjustified, noting that the United States has signaled that its future strategy involves raising tariffs to increase revenue rather than promoting free and fair trade.

Japan took a more cautious stance, calling the tariffs regrettable and stressing that its industrial and trade practices comply with international regulations.

What Have Other Countries Said?

Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan raised the tariff issue with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, emphasizing that the United States runs a trade surplus with Singapore and that there is no technical or economic justification for imposing tariffs.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, in a post on X, called the new tariffs “extremely disappointing,” noting that the U.S. investigation offered no substantive evidence of forced‑labor violations and that tariffs would only raise costs and create uncertainty for businesses.

Norway expressed strong disagreement with the unilateral tariffs and the United States’ justification, stating that Norway already has clear rules prohibiting trade in goods made with forced labor, rendering the tariff unjustified.

What Has China Said About The New Tariffs?

Beijing has not yet issued a comment on the latest tariffs, but the Chinese Embassy in Washington criticized the proposal earlier this month, expressing strong dissatisfaction and warning that the United States is abusing the Section 301 process and subordinating international law to domestic policy, thereby making a serious mistake.

The tariffs were enacted under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, which permits presidents to impose duties in response to alleged unfair trade practices after an investigation. The White House accuses the 60 partner nations of failing to implement and enforce an effective ban on forced‑labor trade with the United States.

Tangent

Canada, among the 60 nations subject to the new forced‑labor tariffs, faces a 10 % duty, while several of its key exports have been hit with a 50 % levy, a move Trump claims discriminates against U.S. goods. After an initial cautious reply offering dialogue, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday that Canada remains ready to act as needed, stating that “everything is on the table depending on the outcome of the negotiations.” He added that Canada does not need to respond pre‑emptively, as such action would be counterproductive. The 50 % tariffs are scheduled to take effect next month.

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