New forced labour tariff threat looms

The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has proposed additional tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% on imports from 60 economies, following Section 301 investigations into their failure to effectively prohibit goods produced with forced labour.

Of particular note for the textile sector, USTR is proposing a dedicated textile mechanism that would allow a certain volume of apparel and textile imports from qualifying economies to enter the US at a reduced tariff rate.