Trump threatens tariffs on 60 trading partners including UK and Canada over 'forced labour'

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: The Guardian

Proposal for 10-12.5% levies, to also include EU, Taiwan and Australia, would allow US president to skirt court-imposed limits

Donald Trump has threatened tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% on 60 trading partners including the UK, the EU and Australia over alleged forced labour failures, in the latest attempt to revive his signature trade policy.

The EU immediately hit back, saying it expected the US to respect the tariff deal it entered into last July and arguing that stealth tariffs breached the spirit of that agreement.

The proposed levies on partners accused of allowing imports of goods produced by workers under coercion come after the US supreme court ruled in February that the president’s “liberation day” tariffs were illegal.
...
The latest proposal for tariffs on the grounds of forced labour, which would affect major partners including Canada, Japan, Norway, Taiwan and China, would enable Trump to skirt those previous court-imposed limits on his protectionist agenda. They come as the US threatens to impose fresh levies of 25% on Brazil.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/03/trump-threatens-tariffs-60-countries-forced-labour

---

I don't believe for a moment that Canada or the EU is worse than the Trump regime at stopping forced labour imports. This is just another scam - forcing US consumers to pay more.

[Scrivener7]

1. What an asshole.

[SamuelAdams]

2. I bet we import lots of goods made with forced labor.

Is the EU really dumb enough to expect Trump to abide by his agreements? You can't be taken seriously if you claim to be shocked that he isn't a man of his word.

[Walleye]

3. Maga merchandise?

[EarthFirst]

4. Bingo! nt

[mopinko]

5. now do the u.s. prison system.

slavery lives here, esp in places like angola prison.

[ChicagoTeamster]

6. If anything there's more migrant workers here who don't get paid than forced labor in Europe. Maybe China.

But American businesses like the cheap labor. Remember Mitt Romney?

[Martin68]

7. I love the irony of Dump getting all woke all of a sudden in his quest to punish his enemies abroad and in the erroneous

belief that it makes him look like a tough guy.

[Bayard]

9. DEI! DEI!

[travelingthrulife]

8. Isn't that the purpose of the private prison system, like GEO?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

10. Didn't SCOTUS already tell him only Congress can levy these?

[Karasu]

11. The "forced labor" claim is his attempt to get around that.