President Donald Trump administration don announce new import taxes for di second time since US Supreme Court strike down many of im previous duties for February.
Di US Trade Department say di countries go face di tariffs because dem fail to address di importing of goods made wit forced labour.
Di UK say dem dey tackle forced labour, China deny say dem get goods wey dem make wit forced labour, and di EU say di tariffs no get justification.
Meanwhile, one India analyst say di move na pressure tactic as trade negotiations between di countries dey continue.
Human rights groups say forced labour dey exist for China and say di UK and oda countries need to do more to make sure firms no get forced labour for dia supply chains.
However, dem question di effectiveness of US tariffs as way to handle di problem.
Di 60 trading partners wey dey di list – including UK, EU, Canada, India and Japan – account for almost all of di goods wey dem sell to US.
Di US government stance na say trading wit countries wey dey buy tins wey dem make wit forced labour no fair for US.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer say “e dey create dynamic where American workers dey forced to compete globally on unlevel playing field.”
Di tariffs wey dem announce no don dey enforced yet. Di Trump administration go need to go through process to do so.
Di proposed tariffs come after investigation wey Greer launch for March into di 60 trading partners, and whether dem fail to act on prohibiting forced labour.
Di report into di investigations conclude say 54 of di countries don “fail to impose legal prohibition on importation of goods produced wholly or in part wit forced labour and to effectively enforce such prohibition.”
E say six oda trading partners – Canada, EU, Ecuador, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan – don “fail to effectively enforce forced labour import prohibition.”
Di trade department say dem go impose 10% tariffs on imports from Canada, EU, Britain, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan.
UK government spokesperson say “we dey tackle forced labour for UK and for global supply chains to ensure UK businesses no dey complicit for forced labour and human rights violations.”
“We continue to engage regularly wit di US administration as part of our negotiations, and don make clear di actions we dey take.”
Amnesty International business and human rights director Peter Frankental tell BBC say “trade measures fit play role for addressing forced labour risks, but dem no be substitute for effective enforcement, corporate accountability and mandatory human rights due diligence.”
E add say “di UK government urgently need to get im own house for order; on dat front, dey remain significant room for improvement.”
Di UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner say “di UK law no go far enough to tackle forced labour for supply chains.”
E calculate say UK import around £20bn of goods each year wey fit be linked to forced labour.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney say di new tariffs “no be surprise” and no go impact di majority of Canadian exports to US.
China say dem oppose any form of unilateral tariff, and deny allegations of forced labour.
“Dey no get so-called forced labour for China, and we oppose using dis as excuse for political manipulation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning say.
But several international human rights groups say forced labour dey exist for China, particularly among Muslim ethnic minorities for Xinjiang.
Di European Commission say di EU remain committed to di trade deal wey dem agree wit Trump administration last year.
“Di EU consider tariffs wey dem impose on dese grounds to be unjustified,” one spokesperson say.
Ajay Srivastava of di Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative say India suppose challenge di legal basis of di proposed tariffs, arguing say dem stretch di scope of Section 301 – a US trade law wey allow Washington to investigate and penalise foreign trade practices wey dem deem unfair.
Di move appear to be part of “broader US pressure tactics,” e say, and suppose keep separate from ongoing trade negotiations.
“India suppose reassess im participation and consider stepping away from di bilateral trade agreement, as Malaysia don do,” Srivastava say.
Di Trump administration no don announce new tariffs since February when di Supreme Court rule say di so-called ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs wey Trump impose on plenty countries around di world for April 2025 be unlawful.
Trump call di ruling “terrible” and say di justices wey reject im trade policy be “fools.”
Immediately after di ruling, Trump announce 10% temporary global tariff but later say e go be 15%. However, di duty come for 10%, and e no don increase yet.
Di measure dey due to expire for July, unless Congress extend am.
