The Trump administration will begin collecting new tariffs of 10% and 12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners starting Friday, filling the void left by an expiring temporary measure.

The action follows a February Supreme Court decision that invalidated the president’s prior “reciprocal” tariff structure, which had ranged from 10% to 50%. In response, the White House implemented a stopgap 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which expires at 12:01 a.m. ET Friday.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative confirmed Thursday that the replacement duties, authorized under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, take effect immediately upon the prior order’s termination.

Canada, Mexico, India, and the United Kingdom are among the nations facing a 10% levy, while Taiwan and the European Union will be subject to a 12.5% rate.

“The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement.

President Donald Trump answers questions during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 20. The Supreme Court ruled the same day against his use of emergency powers to implement certain international trade tariffs. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images / Getty Images)

A senior administration official told Reuters the new tariffs are not designed to replace the expiring global duties, despite the simultaneous transition. The official argued that the United States enforces bans on goods made with forced labor more aggressively than other nations, placing American businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

Several categories will be exempt from the new duties, including oil and gas, fertilizer, certain food products, and goods already covered by Section 232 national security tariffs—such as automobiles, steel, aluminum, and copper.

U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a chart of “reciprocal tariffs” while speaking during a “Make America Wealthy Again” trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The announcement caps a week of significant trade actions. On Tuesday, the president declared imported generic drugs would remain tariff-free for two years before steep duties apply, a move intended to incentivize domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing.

On Monday, Trump announced a 50% tariff on specific Canadian imports, citing what officials described as trade discrimination against American firms. Those duties, authorized under the Tariff Act of 1930, are scheduled to take effect Aug. 19 and cover a range of products including certain food items, apparel, synthetic materials, and industrial goods.

U.S. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent and U.S. President Donald Trump look on during The White House Digital Assets Summit in the State Dining Room of the White House on March 7, 2025. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Source link

Exit mobile version