Jamieson Greer of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said a "forced labor tariff" on imports of products made with forced labor will be finally imposed as early as the 23rd local time.
Greer appeared before the Senate Finance Committee on the 22nd and said in written opening remarks that "as early as tomorrow, USTR will issue final response measures against 60 trade partners for failing to address products made with forced labor."
Greer said, "The United States is the only country in the world that has adopted and effectively enforced such (forced labor product response) rules," adding, "This investigation is the culmination of years of work to ensure our trade partners join our efforts and create a level playing field for American workers and corporations."
Greer said the Trump administration's tariff policy was successful and argued that a national trade emergency continues. Greer said, "The specific authorities this administration uses have changed, but the trade strategy has not," adding, "We will continue to use tariffs."
Earlier, after the Supreme Court ruled in February that the reciprocal tariff imposed on each country by the Trump administration was unlawful, the administration introduced a "10% global tariff" under Section 122 of the Trade Act.
The global tariff can be imposed for up to 150 days and expires on the 24th. To replace it, the Trump administration has been conducting investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act to impose tariffs in two areas: structural overproduction and forced labor.
Korea is under investigation in both areas. In the forced labor area, tariffs of 10–12.5% have been noticed for 60 countries, with only the final announcement remaining. In the overproduction area, a tariff notice has not yet been issued.
For Korea, the key question is whether the tariff under Section 301 of the Trade Act will remain at 15% in line with the U.S.-Korea trade agreement. Greer last month said the administration would respect the tariff cap set by the trade agreement.
On the 20th, the Trump administration also imposed an additional 50% tariff on Canada under the Customs Act enacted in 1930. There are concerns that the United States could use this provision to impose tariffs on other countries as well.