Trump administration imposes new tariffs accounting for 99% of US imports

Supervising Producer

WASHINGTON —

President Donald Trump enacted new tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners, replacing temporary import taxes that expired early Friday morning. Those tariffs had been in effect since February, when the Supreme Court struck down his “Liberation Day” tariffs.

These latest tariffs account for 99% of U.S. imports, and U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer said the targeted countries have not adequately enforced bans on goods produced by forced labor.

“Finally, we have put our foot down, and we have told countries, ‘You need to take action, you need to prohibit the import of goods made with forced labor, and you need to enforce these laws so that we all have a level playing field,'” Greer said.

Products such as oil, gas and fertilizer are exempt from the new tariffs. Goods that qualify for duty-free status under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade pact negotiated during Trump’s first term, are also excluded.

The U.S. trade representative’s office is investigating whether 16 countries, which account for 70% of U.S. imports, have overproduced goods, potentially putting U.S. companies at a disadvantage in the global market.

Critics of the tariffs and previous taxes imposed by the president argue that American consumers could face higher prices if companies increase costs to make ends meet.

Trump’s handling of the economy faces scrutiny

The debate over Trump’s handling of the economy is likely to play a big role in this fall’s midterm elections.

Year-over-year inflation, which was trending toward a healthy 2% before Trump launched the war with Iran, has risen to 3.5%. Consumers have faced widespread higher prices, largely due to higher fuel prices.

During a speech largely about his economic policies in Georgia on Wednesday, Trump touted gains in the stock market and asked voters to be patient for gas and other prices to come down.

“Just give me a little time,” Trump said.

Polling consistently shows the president’s approval rating on the economy is falling — an area where Trump used to receive his highest rates of approval. A Pew Research poll from April found 63% of Americans have little or no confidence in Trump’s handling of tariff policy and 58% are not too or not at all confident that Trump can make good decisions about U.S. trade policy.

Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau: