Trump imposes double-digit tariffs on dozens of countries as his 10 pc levies set to expire Friday

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump is going ahead with new double-digit tariffs on dozens of US trading partners just as the clock runs out Friday on stopgap levies he imposed after a stinging defeat at the Supreme Court.

The United States will slap taxes of 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent on imports from 60 countries accounting for 99 per cent of US imports, charging that they have inadequately enforced bans on goods produced by forced labour.

The new tariffs will take effect just as temporary 10 per cent worldwide tariffs expire at 12.01 am Friday. Trump had turned to those temporary levies after the Supreme Court struck down his biggest and boldest tariffs in February.

Now he's tapping more durable tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits the president to impose import taxes and other sanctions against countries found to engage in “unjustifiable,” “unreasonable” or “discriminatory” trade practices. Trump used Section 301 to impose big tariffs on China in his first term, and they survived court challenges.