Trump’s ‘forced labour’ tariffs are an exercise in creative thinking

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Donald Trump has proposed tariffs of at least 10% on dozens of countries, on the basis that they are not doing enough to tackle forced labour. This is the second set of tariffs announced by Trump since the Supreme Court in February declared his signature “liberation day” levies to be unlawful. The decision has forced the US president to be creative. Earlier this year he introduced a flat tariff of 10% using a section of the 1974 Trade Act that allows him to impose a temporary charge to “address fundamental international payments problems”. The latest levies rely on another part of the act, with Trump’s trade representative claiming they are intended to protect US workers from “an unlevel playing field.” According to anti-slavery charity Walk Free, forced labour is more prevalent in the US than in several countries covered by the new tariffs.