Trump has imposed duties on dozens of countries. What the media is writing

US President Donald Trump has imposed trade duties on 60 countries, which account for almost all American imports. The tariffs will range from 10% to 12.5%. The justification for this was accusations of using forced labor in the production of goods, which, according to the White House, undermines competition in international trade. How the media reacts to the new wave of Trump's tariffs is in the Izvestia digest.

Politico: Trump approves new duties on goods from dozens of countries

The Trump administration has finalized new double-digit tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners, seeking to reinstate massive duties lifted by the Supreme Court in February. The new duties, ranging from 10% to 12.5%, are being introduced after a five-month investigation into the elimination of forced labor products from supply chains and are due to take effect just as the temporary global 10% tariff expires.

After the proposed duties were first announced in June, some countries managed to lower tariff rates on their goods by introducing a ban on forced labor. Among them are India, Trinidad and Tobago, Honduras and Sri Lanka. While the new executive order retains existing tariff exemptions for a wide range of goods complying with the 2020 North American trade agreement, the administration has also introduced additional exemptions for what cannot be manufactured in the United States. For example, it is cork, which mainly comes from Portugal, and precious stones such as diamonds and rubies.

The Washington Post: Trump introduces new duties, replacing expiring tariffs

The Trump administration has introduced new tariffs designed to combat forced labor, but critics say they are part of a broader campaign by the president to reduce Americans' dependence on imports. Countries that do not have laws prohibiting goods produced using forced labor, such as China, the United Kingdom, and Japan, face tariffs of 12.5%. Countries where such laws apply, including the European Union, will be subject to 10% duties if they do not comply with them.

The imposition of sanctions on forced labor will result in lower trade barriers for many U.S. partners than they were last year, after Trump used emergency powers to impose tariffs at the highest levels since the 1930s. It is expected that within a few weeks, the administration will introduce another package of duties that will apply to goods from countries that subsidize excess production capacity. According to officials, such a government policy leads to an influx of cheap goods into world markets with which American companies cannot compete.

Million Dollar Idea: Are New U.S. Trade Investigations Threatening a Global Recession

Washington has initiated proceedings against several dozen countries.

Bloomberg: how Trump plans to keep his tariff wall

From the very beginning of his second term, Trump has made it clear that customs duties will become a central element of the country's economic policy. When the Supreme Court invalidated large—scale import duties imposed by it on the basis of extraordinary powers, it used another provision — article 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 - to impose a fixed 10% import duty. However, such duties have a limited duration, and Trump's duties expire on July 24.

The U.S. trade representative said the country's failure to enforce the ban on forced labor "burdens or restricts U.S. trade, exposing American manufacturers to unfair competition." A number of countries, including India and Canada, rejected the US accusations of weak or complete lack of control over compliance with labor exploitation regulations and stated that the proposed duties under Article 301 were unjustified.

Reuters: Kallas questions the validity of the imposition of US tariffs on goods

The head of the European Union's foreign policy department, Kaya Kallas, questioned the validity of Washington's introduction of new duties on European goods, saying that allegations of deficiencies in the system of control over forced labor in the bloc are unfounded. When asked if the EU expected to be included in the US tariff list, Callas replied: "Who can track how tariffs are introduced and cancelled? No, we didn't expect that."

Callas said the EU would seek clarification from the United States, adding that the bloc had fulfilled commitments under the transatlantic trade agreement reached last year and assessed the new tariffs as a shock. "We had an agreement with America, and we respected it, fulfilled all the terms of the agreement," she said. "Therefore, the fact that the agreement was not fulfilled came as an unpleasant surprise to us."

Overcome tariffs: US business demanded refund for Trump duties

Will the American authorities reimburse the collected funds and wait for the introduction of new fees

Associated Press: Carney says Canada is ready to respond if Trump's new tariffs take effect

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada would step up negotiations with the United States to reach a comprehensive trade agreement, but was ready to respond if Trump's threat to impose 50 percent tariffs on Canadian goods took effect. The new duties, announced by Trump on July 20, are due to take effect on August 19.

The new duties apply to a wide range of goods, including honey, alcoholic beverages, cement, dairy products, some wood products, hockey sticks and other goods. They exclude energy products, potash fertilizers, fish, and critical minerals, but include goods previously protected from import duties by an agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This 2020 trade agreement was not extended by the United States, which led to a new round of negotiations that could last until 2036. Carney said that the threat of tariffs could be a negotiating tactic on the part of the United States.