Overview
- The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative recommended additional duties of roughly 10 to 12.5 percent on imports from 60 economies after an investigation first opened on March 12.
- The USTR's formal proposal, announced late this week, sets a public comment deadline of July 6 and schedules a hearing for July 7 before any tariffs would take effect.
- The European Union is slated to be recommended for a 10 percent rate and has strongly rejected the U.S. allegation, pointing to its 2024 forced‑labour rules and recent European Parliament committee approval to cut many EU tariffs on U.S. goods.
- The White House is using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 as the new legal basis after U.S. courts limited earlier tariff measures, and the administration is appealing prior judicial setbacks.
- Traders and manufacturers could face higher import costs and supply‑chain disruption if duties proceed, and the move raises a near‑term diplomatic and legal contest that could shape whether the July 2025 EU–U.S. tariff deal is implemented smoothly.