Washington, 24 July (H.S.): The United States has announced an additional 10 per cent import tariff on goods coming from India, with the decision coming into effect from Friday. On the instructions of President Donald Trump, the US Trade Representative has taken action against India and 60 other countries over imports of goods allegedly produced through forced labour. Additional tariffs ranging from 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent have been imposed on these countries.

According to a report by The Washington Post, a 10 per cent additional tariff has been imposed on 17 countries, including India, while 43 countries will face an additional tariff of 12.5 per cent. The United States has taken the action under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The new additional import duties came into effect at 12:01 am between Thursday and Friday.

According to US media reports, a 10 per cent additional import tariff has been imposed on Argentina, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad and Tobago.

For the European Union, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland, tariff rates have been structured in a manner that, when combined with existing Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) tariff rates, will result in a total tariff burden of 10 per cent or 12.5 per cent.

A rate of 12.5 per cent has been fixed for the remaining 38 countries, including China. The United States has accused China of keeping Uyghur minorities in labour camps, though Beijing has denied the allegations.

The US decision comes at a time when the temporary 10 per cent global tariff imposed earlier was also set to expire.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that the United States has prohibited imports linked to forced labour for nearly a century and now expects its trading partners to take similar steps. He described the action as an initial move towards preventing human rights violations and unfair trade practices.

The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader trade policy under which the US had planned to increase import duties globally. Earlier, the US Supreme Court had struck down President Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” order, following which the administration introduced new tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act, 1974.

Several countries have expressed opposition to the new tariffs. Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said there was no basis for imposing such tariffs on Norway, as the country already has clear regulations aimed at preventing trade in goods produced through forced labour.

Australia and Brazil described the new tariffs as unfair and said they would seek their removal.

Canada’s Minister for US Trade Affairs Dominic LeBlanc said that Ottawa would continue constructive discussions with Washington in the coming weeks on this issue and other pending matters to ensure benefits for Canadian citizens.

Massachusetts Democratic Governor Maura Healey criticised the tariffs in a statement, saying they would increase costs and negatively impact businesses.

The Trump administration, however, maintains that countries failing to take strict action against goods produced through forced labour gain an unfair advantage, while harming American companies. According to the administration, the new tariffs will help protect workers’ rights across global supply chains.

Critics, however, argue that the tariffs could make imports more expensive and increase costs for American consumers.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar