US set to unveil fresh tariffs as Trump's 10% global levy faces Friday expiry

The United States is set to announce fresh tariffs against dozens of countries over what it described as forced labour concerns, hours before Donald Trump's 10 per cent global levy is set to expire.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will make an announcement "very soon, later today."

"I would just tell you to stay tuned for more details," she said at a press briefing.

The fresh levies follow the US Supreme Court's decision to strike down Trump's reciprocal tariffs, which he imposed on economies across the world under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The US president, however, replaced them with a temporary 10 per cent levy on imports.

But the levies are limited to 150 days and are due to expire Friday.

The Trump administration has since prepared a volley of new duties targeting 60 economies over what it has deemed forced labour concerns, moving to rebuild the president's tariff wall.

However, officials have yet to set out a timeline for imposing the tariffs, which are set between 10 per cent and 12.5 per cent and are poised to hit goods from major trading partners, including China, the European Union and India.

These measures were proposed after a months-long investigation and are considered more durable than earlier ones.

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In his second term, President Trump has sought tariffs as a primary weapon to force the renegotiation of global trade deals. He has targeted agreements he characterised as unfavourable to the United States, arguing that foreign trade practices have exacerbated Washington's persistent bilateral trade deficits.

The White House unveiled its baseline policy, known as the "Liberation Day" tariffs, on April 2, 2025, invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to levy broad duties. While the administration claimed these aggressive duties would quickly compel trade partners into hundreds of bilateral negotiations, the initiative yielded limited bilateral concessions while generating widespread legal and diplomatic resistance.

The US Supreme Court further dismantled this strategy in February, ruling 6 to 3 that IEEPA does not authorise executive tariffs. The invalidation of the emergency tariffs disrupted existing talks, prompting trading partners to demand competitive parity or better terms while forcing Washington to pivot to temporary alternative statutes like Section 122 and Section 301.