Islamabad: The US has announced new import duties on 60 trading partner countries, including Pakistan, under its forced labour policy. According to US officials, these tariffs will come into effect from Friday and their rates have been set from 10 to 12.5 percent for different countries.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has said, on Friday, that the US has been following a strict policy against the import of products manufactured through forced labour for decades, while other countries are also expected to implement the same standard. According to him, the new trade restrictions have been applied to countries that account for a significant share of US trade.
The US administration said that the 10% basic tariff, which was temporarily imposed after the Supreme Court struck down some tariffs in February, is now ending its term, and new tariffs are being implemented after an investigation. Officials say the measures are legally stronger than before.
According to the official announcement, a 10% tariff will be imposed on Pakistan, India, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Indonesia and several other countries, while a 12.5% ​​duty will be imposed on 38 countries, including China. New rates have also been set for the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Switzerland.
Several countries, including Japan and Australia, have expressed reservations about the US decision. Japan expressed regret over the move, while Australia called it contrary to free trade principles and demanded its withdrawal.
According to US officials, steel, aluminium and products covered by pre-specified sectoral tariffs will not be affected by the new duties. Similarly, some energy products, fertilizers and goods covered by the US-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement will also be exempted.
On the other hand, Pakistan has submittfertilisersed response to the Office of the US Trade Representative regarding the investigation into forced labour. Experts say that trade talks between Pakistan and the US in the coming days may determine the direction of new developments, while the US government is also continuing separate trade investigations against 16 more economies.