A Forced Labor Crackdown or an End-Run Around Congress? Dissecting Trump's New Tariffs

International Trade attorney Patrick Childress was cited in an Associated Press (AP) article about the Trump Administration's new Section 301 tariffs imposed on 60 U.S. trading partners. The levies of 10 to 12.5 percent came right before temporary 10 percent worldwide tariffs expired and were issued against countries the administration said either lack bans on importing goods produced with forced labor or do not enforce them effectively. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) stated it consulted with the countries involved in the Section 301 investigations, though it did not reveal the exact details of those conversations, provoking criticism about the government's reasoning behind the latest trade measures. Mr. Childress told AP that regardless of what the critics say, this new round of tariffs is unlikely to go anywhere anytime soon, because even if the countries targeted implement changes to their forced labor practices, the U.S. government will ultimately decide whether they've proven a case for tariff removal.

"This suggests that no short-term path for countrywide relief from the new Section 301 tariffs will be available," he explained.

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