Trump could slap Australia with 12.5% tariff for allegedly importing goods made by slave labour

Key points

• Australia is among dozens of countries facing a 12.5% trade tariff from the Trump administration for allegedly failing to prevent imports of goods made by slave labour.
• The US trade representative, Jamieson Greer, listed Australia among 54 economies that “failed to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor” following an investigation into their practices.
• A further six countries that were found to have failed to properly police a prohibition face a lower 10% rate.
• “The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labor is unacceptable,” Greer said.
• “This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field.