The U.S. Trade Representative has confirmed the Trump administration is actively considering sweeping new tariffs targeting dozens of countries over forced labor violations.
Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative, confirmed reports that the administration is looking to impose tariffs on as many as 60 countries for failing to comply with U.S. forced labor laws.
The proposed tariffs, if enacted, would represent one of the most expansive trade actions in recent American history, affecting a vast share of the country’s global commerce.
Greer stated that the scale of the proposed measures would impact 99% of U.S. trade, a figure that underscores the breadth of the administration’s ambitions on trade enforcement.
“The U.S. has laws to prohibit trading goods with forced labor,” Greer said, framing the proposed tariffs as a matter of legal compliance rather than purely economic strategy.
The administration’s focus on forced labor as a justification for tariffs signals an effort to use trade policy as a tool for broader human rights enforcement on the global stage.
The move would build on existing U.S. legislation, including laws already on the books that restrict the importation of goods produced under conditions of forced or coerced labor.
Targeting 60 countries simultaneously would mark a significant escalation from previous trade actions, which have typically focused on individual nations or specific product categories.
Trading partners subject to the proposed tariffs would face considerable pressure to demonstrate compliance with U.S. labor standards in order to avoid or reduce the penalties.
The announcement is likely to send ripples through global supply chains, as businesses and governments alike assess their exposure to the potential new trade barriers.
Analysts expect the proposal to generate significant diplomatic pushback from affected nations, many of which are key suppliers of goods consumed across the American economy.
The administration has shown a consistent willingness to use tariffs as leverage, and this latest proposal suggests that approach is expanding well beyond traditional economic or national security rationales.
