The United States has announced a new 10 percent tariff on imports from Pakistan as part of a broader package of trade measures targeting 60 trading partners over concerns related to forced labour practices.
The new tariffs, which take effect on Friday, range from 10 percent to 12.5 percent and replace a temporary global tariff introduced by President Donald Trump earlier this year. Pakistan joins countries including India, Canada, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Mexico, Indonesia, Jordan, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom in facing a 10 percent tariff, while China and 37 other countries will face a 12.5 percent duty.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the measures were introduced to encourage trading partners to strengthen efforts against forced labour, arguing that the United States has long enforced restrictions on imports produced through forced labour.
The latest duties follow a months-long investigation by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) and are expected to be more resilient to legal challenges than Trump’s earlier tariffs, many of which were struck down by the US Supreme Court in February. The temporary 10 percent tariff imposed after that ruling expires on Friday.
Pakistan had submitted detailed responses to the USTR during the investigation, including another submission ahead of bilateral trade talks earlier this month addressing the forced labour concerns raised by US authorities.
The tariffs have drawn criticism from several US trading partners. Japan said it regretted the move, while Australia’s trade minister described the duties as unjustified and inconsistent with the countries’ free trade agreement.
The new measures will not apply to goods already subject to sector-specific tariffs, including steel and aluminum. Certain energy products, fertilizers and goods covered under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are also exempt.
The Trump administration is also investigating 16 economies over excess industrial capacity, raising the possibility of additional tariffs in the coming months. Trade experts say the latest measures reinforce Washington’s increasingly protectionist trade policy while giving the administration leverage in future negotiations with key trading partners.
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