On 2 June 2026, the US Trade Representative (USTR) released preliminary findings from investigations into 60 countries on forced labour imports. The USTR proposed additional tariffs of 10–12.5% on imports from all 60 countries.
Key findings
- The investigations assessed forced labour import controls and enforcement, rather than levels of forced labour within countries.
- USTR found that: “all of the investigated economies have failed both to impose a legal prohibition on the importation of goods produced wholly or in part with forced labor (forced labor goods) and to effectively enforce such a prohibition.”
- This included countries with existing forced labour import bans, such as Canada, Mexico and the European Union, which USTR identified as having enforcement gaps. The EU Forced Labour Regulation has entered into force but does not apply to companies until 14 December 2027.
Next steps
- The proposed tariffs are not final and are not currently in force.
- Public comments on the report are open until 6 July 2026, with a public hearing scheduled for 7 July 2026.