The United States is preparing to impose new trade restrictions on the European Union over products it alleges are linked to forced labor. However, Brussels expects the new measures to comply with trade agreement terms and keep tariffs below the 15% cap, according to infohub.kz.
Tariffs over forced labor may hit the 15% ceiling.
The European Commission has called the US accusations unfounded, but says its priority is maintaining stability for European companies and upholding agreements reached in Turnberry last summer.
'We disagree with the US conclusions on forced labor and have made that position clear to our partners,' a European Commission spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that Brussels is focused on ensuring the trade agreement continues to provide predictable conditions for businesses.
Washington announced the new tariffs in early June, stating that insufficient measures to combat goods made with forced labor harm US interests. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said new steps would be taken soon.
The situation is complicated by the fact that the current US tariff regime is set to expire on July 24 unless Congress extends it. Meanwhile, the US Department of Commerce is conducting a Section 301 investigation under the Trade Act of 1974, examining the role of forced labor in global supply chains.
For the EU, the issue is particularly sensitive: after previous US tariffs, the average burden on European goods has already neared the 15% threshold considered the maximum under the agreement signed in July 2025 by President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Brussels stresses that European legislation already contains strict rules against products linked to forced labor. Despite disagreeing with the US approach, the EU is focusing on negotiations and preserving the existing trade terms.