US imposes 10-12.5% tariffs on 60 nations, covering 99.4% of trade
Washington is swapping expiring baseline import taxes for new duties on 60 trade partners covering 99.4% of US commerce, ensuring sustained cost pressures for global supply chains.
The United States will introduce new tariffs on 60 trading partners just after midnight on Friday, effectively replacing a temporary worldwide duty that expires at the same time. The new levies, ranging from 10% to 12.5%, will cover 99.4% of American trade, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
The administration is framing the duties as a response to forced-labor practices. A senior Trump administration official told reporters the move "is the most sweeping international labor rights action the United States has ever taken — that any country has ever taken." For supply chain managers and importers, however, the practical impact is a continuation of the baseline cost increases that disrupted budgets earlier this year.
Friday's rollout is a direct substitution for the 10% global tariff enacted under Section 122 of the 1974 trade law. That temporary measure was implemented hours after the Supreme Court struck down the administration's broader "liberation day" duties on February 20. By shifting the legal basis to Section 301, the White House is bypassing the 150-day timer that limited the previous emergency tariff.
The new duties will not stack on top of existing national-security tariffs on steel and aluminum. The USTR did not provide an estimate of the revenue these tariffs will generate when asked by CNBC. For businesses, the lack of a revenue forecast underscores the unpredictability of the current trade regime, even as the structural cost of importing goods remains elevated.
This announcement is the latest in a rapid escalation of protectionist measures. The White House applied 25% tariffs to most Brazilian imports on Wednesday, and 50% duties on a wide range of Canadian goods are scheduled to take effect next month.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer signaled on Wednesday that this trajectory will continue. "We commit to continuing to use tariffs and to negotiate deals to support the reindustrialization of our economy, protect American workers, and increase their wages and shrink our trade deficit," Greer said in Senate testimony.
More tariffs ahead
Investors should also monitor a separate Section 301 investigation focused on excess manufacturing capacity by 16 economies. While the forced-labor probe is now finalized, the excess capacity review remains pending, pointing to further targeted trade restrictions down the line.
