US Threatens New Tariffs on UK, EU, China, 57 Others

The United States has announced plans to impose fresh tariffs of between 10 and 12.5 per cent on imports from dozens of countries over concerns that they have failed to do enough to curb the trade in goods produced through forced labour.

The move marks the second major tariff initiative by the administration of President Donald Trump since the US Supreme Court struck down a significant portion of his earlier import duties in February.

According to the US Trade Department, the proposed tariffs would affect 60 trading partners that collectively account for almost all goods imported into the United States.

The department said the measures were aimed at countries that have either failed to prohibit the importation of goods made with forced labour or have not effectively enforced existing restrictions.

Announcing the proposal, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the continued trade in goods linked to forced labour created unfair competition for American workers.

“It creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field,” Greer stated.

The proposed tariffs have yet to take effect, as the Trump administration is expected to complete the necessary legal and regulatory processes before implementation.

The action follows an investigation launched in March by Greer into whether major US trading partners had taken adequate measures to prevent the importation of products made wholly or partly through forced labour.

Findings from the investigation indicated that 54 countries had “failed to impose a legal prohibition on the importation of goods produced wholly or in part with forced labour and to effectively enforce such a prohibition.”

The report further stated that six trading partners — the European Union, Canada, Ecuador, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan — had failed to effectively enforce existing bans on imports linked to forced labour.

Under the proposal, a 10 per cent tariff would be imposed on imports from countries and blocs including the European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Pakistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Guatemala, Malaysia and Taiwan.

The remaining 45 countries, including China and India, would face higher duties of 12.5 per cent.

Reacting to the announcement, the British government maintained that it was taking steps to address forced labour concerns within supply chains, while China rejected allegations that goods produced through forced labour were entering global markets.

The European Union, however, described the proposed tariffs as unjustified.

An Indian trade analyst characterised the move as a pressure tactic aimed at strengthening Washington’s position in ongoing trade negotiations with New Delhi.

Trump Threatens Higher Tariffs on EU if Trade Talks Fail

United States President, Donald Trump, has threatened to impose “much higher” tariffs on the European Union if the bloc fails to remove its levies on American goods before July 4, escalating fresh tensions in transatlantic trade relations.

Trump issued the warning after a phone conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, stating that the EU must agree to zero tariffs on U.S. exports or face steep economic consequences.

“I agreed to give her until our Country’s 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels,” Trump said.

In response, von der Leyen said the European Union was making “good progress towards tariff reduction” ahead of the deadline, while reaffirming commitment to ongoing negotiations between both sides.

The tariff dispute comes amid renewed uncertainty over a trade agreement reached last year between Washington and Brussels, which initially proposed a 15 per cent tariff on EU exports to the United States, while Trump had earlier pushed for a 30 per cent levy on European goods.

Although the deal received conditional backing from the European Parliament in March, lawmakers inserted safeguards requiring assurances that the United States would also honour its commitments, particularly concerning steel and aluminium exemptions.

Under the proposed arrangement, EU legislators insisted they would only accept zero tariffs on U.S. goods if European exports made with steel and aluminium were excluded from Trump’s global 50 per cent tariffs on the metals.

Despite parliamentary progress, final approval still depends on agreement from all 27 EU member states, while further negotiations are expected to continue later this month in Strasbourg.

Ahead of Trump’s latest comments, European Parliament chief negotiator Bernd Lange said discussions were progressing but warned that “there is still some way to go.”

However, tensions were further complicated hours after Trump’s threat when a United States trade court ruled that his latest 10 per cent global tariffs were not justified under U.S. trade law, potentially opening the door to further legal challenges.

The court ruling, though limited in scope, questioned the legal basis used by the Trump administration under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, which allows temporary tariffs to address balance of payments deficits.

Trump had previously introduced the sweeping 10 per cent levy in February, following earlier legal and political disputes over his so-called “freedom day” tariffs.

While the court decision does not immediately block the tariffs nationwide, it applies to import duties involving two companies and could encourage wider legal opposition.

With negotiations ongoing and legal uncertainty mounting, analysts say the dispute signals a renewed phase of economic friction between the United States and the European Union.

Dangote Unveils Plan for 20,000MW Power Project

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has announced plans to build a 20,000-megawatt power project, marking a major expansion of his industrial interests beyond oil refining, cement and fertiliser production.

Dangote disclosed the plan during an interview with Makhtar Diop, managing director of the International Finance Corporation, saying the project forms part of efforts to address Africa’s persistent energy deficit.

“We are now going into power… 20,000 megawatts,” he said, adding that the continent’s most urgent needs remain energy, fertilisers and industrial inputs.

Although he did not provide details on financing or implementation timelines, the proposed project, if realised, would significantly transform Nigeria’s struggling power sector, where generation remains inconsistent despite an installed capacity of about 13,000MW.

Dangote said Africa’s development priorities are clear, stressing that “the needs of Africa are petroleum products and fertilisers.”

According to him, his conglomerate is also expanding aggressively in fertiliser production and related industrial ventures.

“Today, in about two and a half years, we will be the largest fertiliser company in the world. We are putting up 12 million tons of urea. We are opening up mines of potash and phosphate in Congo and Brazil. We are building the biggest deep-sea port with an 18-meter draft. We are doing LNG,” he said.

The billionaire industrialist added that the expansion drive is being supported by stronger cash flows and improved financial flexibility within his business empire.

“We are now actually free of assets, and we can actually raise more money. Our cash flow now is very, very strong,” he said.

The announcement comes amid the ongoing expansion of the Dangote Refinery, which is currently being scaled up toward a capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day, further cementing its position as one of the largest refining facilities in the world.