जबर्जस्ती श्रम रोक्न नसकेको भन्दै ६० व्यापारिक साझेदारमाथि अमेरिकाको नयाँ भन्सार शुल्कUS Imposes New Tariffs on 60 Trade Partners Over Forced Labour Concerns

Washington — The United States has decided to impose additional tariffs on 60 major trading partners, accusing them of failing to establish effective legal measures to prevent the import of goods produced through forced labour.

The decision, announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) under President Donald Trump’s direction, was taken under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and will come into effect from Friday.

The investigation, which began on March 12, included public hearings, thousands of comments and consultations with several governments. The US concluded that many economies had not done enough to block forced-labour products from entering global supply chains.

Countries including India, Bangladesh, Canada, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom will face an additional 10 percent tariff. Some products from the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Switzerland will be subject to tariffs ranging from 10 to 12.5 percent.

China, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Brazil, Australia, Russia, South Africa and several other economies will face an additional 12.5 percent tariff under the new measures.

The US has exempted certain raw materials and products where tariffs could disrupt domestic supply chains or create shortages. Some goods from countries making legal reforms against forced labour have also received exemptions.

The US administration argues that forced labour gives companies an unfair advantage by reducing production costs artificially, hurting American industries and workers. However, economists have warned that higher tariffs could increase prices of imported goods and eventually affect consumers.

Nepal has not been included in the list of 60 economies investigated by the US. Therefore, the new Section 301 tariffs will not directly affect Nepal. However, since major trading partners such as India, China and Bangladesh are affected, there could be indirect impacts on regional trade and supply chains.