Trump imposes fresh tariffs on UK, EU and dozens of other trading partners

Trump Administration Announces New Tariffs on Over 80 Countries Under Section 301 of Trade Act

The US trade representative announced tariffs of 10% or 12.5% on imports from more than 80 countries, including the United Kingdom, the 27 European Union member states, Mexico, Canada, Australia, India and China. The measures took effect to replace a prior 10% tariff regime that expired at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Friday.

The new duties were issued under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that the action addresses forced labor in supply chains. “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,” Greer said. He noted that some trading partners have adopted similar import prohibitions and said the administration would monitor enforcement.

Section 301 authorizes the president to respond to foreign practices that burden US commerce. The statute has been used in prior administrations, though analysts at the Brookings Institution have described its application as infrequent in recent decades. The tariffs replace a 10% duty that the administration had imposed in February after the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that earlier tariff actions taken under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act exceeded statutory authority during peacetime.

The February tariffs had been scheduled to last 150 days. Administration officials said the new section 301 duties would remain in place while investigations into trading practices continue. The White House has described tariffs as a means to protect domestic manufacturing and reduce trade deficits.

Australia and Brazil said the tariffs lacked justification and indicated they would seek their removal. Norway’s foreign minister stated there was no basis for applying the duties to that country. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said the bloc would request clarification from Washington and noted that it had met commitments under a 2025 transatlantic trade agreement.

Canadian officials said the country should not be included, citing its existing measures against forced-labor imports. Matthew Holmes of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce called for a multilateral approach rather than unilateral tariffs and questioned the timing relative to the expiration of the prior duties.

The administration has maintained that the tariffs do not raise consumer prices. During a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Greer told Sen. Elizabeth Warren that the measures had not increased costs for American families. He cited core inflation data showing a decline to 2.6% year over year, excluding food and energy, compared with January 2025. Overall inflation remains above the level recorded at the end of the prior administration.

A Harris Poll survey conducted earlier this year found that 70% of Americans reported paying higher prices due to tariffs and 72% viewed the tariffs as having a negative effect on consumers. Among Republican respondents, 64% said tariffs had raised prices and 60% said they had a negative consumer impact. The poll was commissioned by the Guardian.

Alan Wolff, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and former deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization, wrote that the new tariffs raise questions about presidential authority over tariff policy, which the Constitution assigns to Congress. He argued that the breadth of the delegation exceeds what Congress may constitutionally grant.

Trump has repeatedly described tariffs as a tool to address what he characterizes as unfair foreign trade practices. The administration has linked the current actions to ongoing reviews of labor conditions in exporting countries. The US Customs and Border Protection agency has maintained a forced-labor import prohibition since 1930, with enforcement actions documented against specific goods from multiple nations in recent years.

The tariffs apply uniformly at the stated rates across the listed countries. Administration officials said additional country-specific adjustments could follow further review under section 301 procedures. Trading partners have indicated they will pursue consultations through existing trade frameworks while the duties remain in effect.