MW New Trump administration tariffs, this time on forced labor, could come into force as existing ones roll off

By Steve Goldstein

July 24 could be date when one tariff expires and another takes effect

President Donald Trump (L) speaks to the media as U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer listens aboard Air Force One. Greer proposed new tariffs, citing countries' use of forced labor.

The Trump administration on Tuesday proposed new tariffs that would come into force just as an existing levy expires.

In February, President Donald Trump invoked Section 122 of the U.S. Trade Act to impose a 10% tariff, just as the Supreme Court invalidated tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

That authority is set to expire on July 24. Now, the Office of the Trade Representative is proposing new tariffs, of between 10% and 12.5%, on 60 different economies based on alleged use of forced labor.

"The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labor is unacceptable. This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field," said Ambassador Jamieson Greer.

The government will allow written comments, up to July 6, and then hold hearings on July 7. While no exact timetable has been set out, that would give the USTR the possibility of making the tariffs effective just as the Section 122 tariffs expire.

The tariffs have largely been background music as investors weigh the artificial-intelligence build-out and inflation. S&P 500 futures (ES00) eased Wednesday after nine consecutive days of gains for the benchmark U.S. index.

-Steve Goldstein

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 03, 2026 04:29 ET (08:29 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.