US tariff hikes linked to claims of foreign labor dismay and anger trading partners

US tariff hikes linked to claims of foreign labor dismay and anger trading partners 1 of 5 | President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) 2 of 5 | Shipping containers are seen ready for transport at the Guangzhou Port in the Nansha district in southern China’s Guangdong province, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File) 3 of 5 | President Donald Trump speaks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, at a working lunch with leaders of G7 and the Middle East in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP,File) 4 of 5 | Salesmen walk among agricultural machinery displayed at an equipment dealership, representing one of the sectors affected by U.S. tariffs, on the outskirts of Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) 5 of 5 | A salesman looks at agricultural machinery displayed at an equipment dealership, representing one of the sectors affected by U.S. tariffs, on the outskirts of Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) By ELAINE KURTENBACH Updated 9:03 AM MESZ, July 24, 2026 Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit BANGKOK (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest set of tariff hikes drew heated objections Friday from America’s trading partners, with Australia’s trade minister slamming them as “completely unjustified.” The administration announced extra tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on 60 economies late Thursday, saying the countries had failed to adequately enforce a ban on goods made with forced labor. The new tariffs took effect just as stopgap levies Trump imposed after a stinging defeat at the Supreme Court expired at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Countries object to what they call unfounded labor claims Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell rejected claims linking Australia, a major exporter of beef, gold and copper, to modern slavery and raising the tariff on its exports to the U.S. to 12.5% from the 10% level imposed after Trump’s “Liberation Day” hikes last year. “We believe that amongst all of the countries in the world Australia does take the issue of slavery, modern slavery, seriously, and will continue to do that,” Farrell told reporters in Adelaide. Australia believes the higher tariffs are “completely unjustified and we will continue to lobby the United States Trade Representative to remove all tariffs on Australian goods,” Farrell said. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the tariffs on his country, also subject to a 12.5% import duty, were “extremely disappointing,” unjustified and harmful to trade. Trump imposes double-digit tariffs on dozens of countries as his 10% levies are set to expire Friday 3 MIN READ 48 South Korea’s central bank hikes rate for 1st time since 2023 to curb inflation, debt 7 MIN READ 201 South Africa seeks tariff exemption as US probes forced labor tied to imports 7 MIN READ 201 A U.S. investigation serving as the basis for the tariffs did not provide meaningful evidence to support allegations of forced labor. “tariffs are not the way — they drive up costs and uncertainty for businesses,” he wrote on X. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas questioned the U.S. stance in comments on Channel News Asia. “If you compare our labor laws to the ones of the United States, I mean we have, people have paid vacations, we have very good conditions, labor conditions for our employees, so it’s not really grounded,” Kallas said. Japan likewise protested the 12.5% tariff imposed on its exports, noting Tokyo had been reassured by the Trump administration that there would be no more tariffs on top of an earlier agreement on a 10% U.S. import duty. “Our understanding is both sides are still committed to that,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a routine news conference. “It is regrettable that the measure imposes tariffs on the grounds of non-existence of measures banning imports of goods made by forced labor, even though Japan’s industry and trade are in line with international rules,” Kihara said. South Korea said it will maintain close communication with the United States to preserve a mutual “balance of benefits.” South Korea’s trade ministry said the announcement eased some uncertainty over U.S. trade policy, but noted that a Section 301 investigation into alleged Korean excess production continues. The combined duties on South Korean exports should not exceed 15%, the ministry said in a statement. Wendy Cutler, a former senior U.S. trade official, said the latest round of tariffs involved “few surprises” since they range just between 10% and 12.5%. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office spent four months investigating the basis for those tariffs to meet legal requirements under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974. “Time will tell whether the third attempt to impose tariffs is the charm and this action stands up to legal challenges,” said Cutler, senior vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute. These duties are less likely than earlier ones to be overruled by U.S. courts, she said. Further tariffs may be coming in the fall related to alleged structural excess capacity of trading partners, she noted. Experts say these tariffs may be less disruptive than others Washington is generally tending to engage in increased trade friction, William Bratton of BNP Paribas said in a research note Friday. “On the positive side, however, these tariffs are lower than the earlier (Emergency Powers Act) ‘reciprocal’ tariffs and appear to exempt a substantial proportion of Asia’s current trade flows with the U.S.,” he said. The Trump administration included many exclusions of products from the tariffs, including for goods the U.S. does not produce, Cutler noted. “This should reduce the impact of these duties. Nevertheless, they will contribute to higher prices both for end consumers and businesses importing inputs and machinery,” she said. Associated Press writers Tong-hyung Kim in Seoul, South Korea, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Chan Ho-him in Hong Kong contributed to this report. ELAINE KURTENBACH Based in Bangkok, Kurtenbach is the AP’s business editor for Asia, helping to improve and expand our coverage of regional economies, climate change and the transition toward carbon-free energy. She has been covering economic, social, environmental and political trends in China, Japan and Southeast Asia throughout her career. twitter mailto