The latest salvo in the ongoing trade war between Washington and the world has been fired by Donald Trump's administration, with new tariffs on more than 80 countries, including the UK and EU member states, sparking outrage among Democrats and some within his own Republican party. Under the guise of combating forced labour, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced a raft of tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5%, citing decades of failed attempts to eradicate the practice from global supply chains.
However, leading Democrats have pounced on what they see as a convenient excuse for Trump's contentious trade policies. Richard Neal, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, accused the administration of "cheapening" the issue of forced labour into a pretext for tariffs that are built on dubious legal theories and personal grievances. California Representative Linda Sánchez echoed this sentiment, questioning the administration's commitment to combating forced labour by pointing to alleged cuts in funding for relevant agencies and domestic worker protections.
The latest move is seen as an attempt by Trump's administration to circumvent a significant legal setback it faced in February when the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that many of his previous tariffs had been imposed illegally. The new tariffs are designed to establish a more permanent framework for Trump's trade agenda, but critics warn they will only serve to further exacerbate inflationary pressures and increase costs for US families.
US Representative Brendan Boyle from Pennsylvania cited estimates suggesting that US families have already faced an additional $3,500 in costs due to Trump's previous policies. As the US midterm elections loom in November, the economic impact of these tariffs is expected to be a major issue, particularly as concerns over inflation and the cost of living persist.
The timing of this move also raises questions about its true motivations. With tensions simmering between Washington and Beijing over trade, it remains to be seen whether Trump's latest salvo will achieve its intended aim of putting pressure on China's trading partners, or simply serve as a convenient way to further his own policy agenda.