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The U.S. imposes new 10% “forced labor” tariffs on EU imports, framing them as a Section 301 response to weak enforcement against forced-labor supply chains. The EU rejects the move as repackaged protectionism designed to bypass earlier legal limits, but avoids retaliation to preserve cooperation on Ukraine, energy purchases, and the 2025 transatlantic trade framework. Because the duties apply net of MFN rates, most exports remain below the agreed 15% tariff cap. However, tensions rise as Trump opens a new probe targeting EU fines on U.S. tech giants.
Wednesday, 22 July, 2026