Spencer Musick //Senior Editor//June 3, 2026
Spencer Musick //Senior Editor//June 3, 2026
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has proposed a slate of new tariffs as it moves to find new new legal pathways for its signature economic policy.
The moves come even as it faces growing pressure from federal courts to speed up the issuing of refunds tied to previously invalidated duties, creating fresh uncertainty for importers and sourcing-dependent domestic manufacturers.
On June 3, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative proposed new tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 economies following a Section 301 investigation into countries’ efforts to prevent goods made with forced labor from entering their supply chains.
Under the proposal, Canada, Mexico and the European Union would face additional 10% duties, while countries including China, Japan, India, Brazil and the United Kingdom could be subject to tariffs of up to 12.5%. The duties are not yet in effect. USTR has scheduled a public hearing for July 7 and will accept comments through early July.
According to USTR, the tariffs are intended to address what the agency described as failures by trading partners to adequately prohibit or enforce bans on imports made with forced labor. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the practices place American workers at a competitive disadvantage.
The proposal comes as the administration seeks alternatives after a series of legal setbacks involving tariffs imposed under emergency authorities. Multiple news outlets, including ABC News, reported that the new action relies on Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, a trade law that has historically provided a more established legal basis for tariff actions than the authorities recently challenged in court.
At the same time, the administration is continuing to fight court orders requiring refunds of previously collected tariffs. According to reporting by The New York Times, a federal judge has directed the government to begin taking steps toward refunding duties collected under tariff programs that were later struck down, potentially exposing the government to more than $100 billion in claims from importers. The administration has indicated it plans to appeal those rulings.
The latest proposal has already drawn criticism from several trading partners. European officials called additional tariffs unjustified, arguing that the European Union has already enacted some of the world’s strictest forced-labor regulations, while other governments have similarly disputed the administration’s findings.
These latest developments underscore the continued volatility surrounding trade policy. Vietnam, Malaysia, India and other key sourcing markets could face additional scrutiny as the administration expands its use of Section 301 investigations.
The industry is already monitoring a newly launched Section 301 investigation into Vietnam’s intellectual property practices, which could ultimately lead to separate tariff actions later this year.
