Trump forced-labor tariffs take effect; EU reactions mixed

Allegedly Due to Forced Labor: Trump's New Tariffs Met with Mixed Reactions in Europe

The US justifies the duties against around 60 countries, including the EU, with insufficient action against forced labor. What's behind it?

By Hannes Koch

According to some EU politicians, the new US tariffs do not represent a deterioration. They are being "taken note of positively," said a spokesperson for the EU Commission.

Since Friday, US import tariffs against 60 countries have been in effect, justified by forced labor in their supply chains. For the European Union, they range between 10 and 12.5 percent.

According to the Commission's interpretation, the new tariff falls within the framework of the Golf Course Agreement, which US President Donald Trump and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen concluded in 2025 in Turnberry, Scotland. The upper limit of 15 percent for imports of most EU products into the US, as stipulated in that agreement, remains in place. Rather, the surcharge for certain products and product groups could now decrease.

"The specific design is better than expected," said Bernd Lange (SPD), chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade. Because investors did not expect additional burdens, the German stock index initially rose slightly.

However, skeptical voices were also heard. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the US announcement a "negative surprise." For French central bank governor Emmanuel Moulin, the tariffs mean more uncertainty in the global economy. Also affected are China, Great Britain, and numerous countries in Asia and South America.

Is It Really About Forced Labor?

The new import duties are also a consequence of domestic political developments in the US. President Trump imposed exorbitant tariffs on many countries in 2025, which the country's Supreme Court later overturned. The administration then resorted to lower tariffs, which were only valid for a few months. The tariffs due to alleged forced labor are now intended to last longer.

However, many people consider this substantive justification to be untenable and merely a pretext.

"The US has had an import ban on goods made with forced labor for almost a century, which we consistently enforce," said Jamieson Greer, the US Trade Representative.

On the other hand, the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington pointed out that the US has not signed the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions against forced labor.

Fundamentally, forced labor is indeed a problem. This includes not only state-imposed forced labor, for example in Russian or Chinese prisons. Certain forms of exploitation by private actors and companies also fall under the ILO definition, such as:

• Debt bondage
• Forced labor without pay
• Excessive overtime in textile factories, mines, or plantations

The EU estimated the number of victims in 2021 at around 27 million people worldwide. According to the Berlin-based human rights organization ECCHR, the global profit from forced labor in 2024 was an estimated 59 billion euros.

In the EU, a directive against forced labor came into force in 2024, which will also become effective after a transition period from the end of 2027. Then, no product that was produced wholly or partly under forced labor may be imported into or exported from Europe. What this directive will achieve remains to be seen. Currently, the EU is again weakening its rules for human rights in corporate supply chains.

In Germany, too, the black-red federal government is limiting the effectiveness of the domestic Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, which prohibits forced labor, among other things. Instead of currently applying to companies with 1,000 employees, it will soon only apply to companies with 5,000 employees. Only these few will then have to monitor their suppliers around the world more closely.

President Trump on the golf course in Turnberry, Scotland. A first tariff agreement with the EU was concluded here. Photo: Phil Noble/reuters