The U.S. Trade Representative has accused 60 countries—including China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Mexico, the UK, Canada, and the EU—of failing to enforce forced labour laws, proposing 10–12.5% tariffs on all their exports. The move follows the Supreme Court's February 2026 invalidation of prior import taxes. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer cited 'uneven competition' harming American workers. EU trade committee chair Bernd Lange called the accusations 'absurd', while UK export leaders warned of fresh uncertainty. Apparel supply chains face immediate cost and compliance impacts, especially as Q2 2026 sourcing decisions are underway.
According to www.just-style.com, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a comprehensive report accusing 60 countries of failing to impose and effectively enforce laws prohibiting goods made with forced labour — triggering proposed tariffs of 10–12.5% on all imported products from those economies.
Scope and Targets
The USTR’s action explicitly names major apparel and textile supply chain partners, including China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union. The proposed duties apply to all products originating in the listed economies — with particular emphasis on sectors directly relevant to global fashion logistics: apparel, footwear, and textiles. This marks a sharp escalation following the February 2026 import tax measures that were subsequently struck down by the US Supreme Court.
Legal and Policy Rationale
The USTR asserts that the failure of these trading partners creates “unfair competition” for US commerce. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated:
“The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labour is unacceptable. This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an uneven playing field. We will no longer tolerate this disparity.”
Greer acknowledged limited progress by some partners — citing enforcement mechanisms under the USMCA and commitments in Agreements on Reciprocal Trade — but stressed that each partner must do more to prevent trade from “perversely encouraging and entrenching forced labour globally.”
International Reactions
Bernd Lange, chair of the European Union’s trade committee, dismissed the USTR’s findings as “absurd” in a post on X (formerly Twitter), adding:
“The EU has adopted the world’s most stringent rules against products made with forced labour. This looks very much like trying to make the facts fit a legal justification for tariffs that has already been decided.”
In the UK, Marco Forgione, director general at the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade, called the update “disappointing but not surprising” and warned it would send a fresh wave of uncertainty through the UK trading community. He referenced recent diplomatic success on whisky tariffs and underscored the importance of the UK–US Economic Prosperity Deal.
Supply Chain Implications
For apparel supply chain professionals, the tariff threat introduces immediate cost and compliance pressures across sourcing hubs. Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India collectively account for over 45% of US apparel imports by value, according to 2025 USITC data. China remains the largest single source of US textile and apparel imports despite multi-year diversification efforts. With tariffs potentially applying to all products, not just high-risk categories, compliance teams face expanded due diligence mandates — including enhanced supplier audits, traceability system upgrades, and third-party verification across tier-2 and tier-3 suppliers. The timing is especially acute: Q2 2026 sourcing cycles are now underway for Fall/Winter collections, meaning procurement decisions made in June and July will be directly exposed to this policy risk.
Factual Context and Precedent
This action follows a pattern of US trade enforcement tied to forced labour concerns. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), enacted in 2021, already bans imports of cotton and polysilicon from Xinjiang unless importers can demonstrate clear supply chain separation. In fiscal year 2025, US Customs and Border Protection detained $1.2 billion worth of goods under UFLPA — a 37% increase from FY2024. Meanwhile, the EU’s new Forced Labour Regulation — set to enter full application in June 2026 — mirrors many USTR concerns but applies binding prohibitions only after formal investigations, unlike the US’s proposed blanket tariff mechanism. Other major apparel importers have taken parallel steps: Canada’s Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act came into force in January 2024, requiring annual public disclosures from companies with >$20 million CAD in revenue.
Source: Just Style
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
