U.S. readies new tariffs on dozens of countries as Trump’s 10% global levy set to expire

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, right, with President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One on May 15, 2026. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

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The United States is acting soon on a host of new tariffs targeting dozens of countries, trade envoy Jamieson Greer said Tuesday, with President Donald Trump’s temporary global levy due to expire this week.

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The Trump administration has prepared fresh tariffs targeting 60 trading partners over their alleged failures to act against forced labor, as officials push to rebuild the U.S. leader’s trade agenda after legal setbacks.

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“The U.S. has laws to prohibit trading goods with forced labor. Other countries, most don’t have a law, those that do don’t really enforce it,” Greer told CNBC on Tuesday.

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“We expect to see some action soon,” he added, although saying he could not specify a timeline.

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While Trump imposed a 10-per cent global duty this year after a swath of his tariffs were struck down by the Supreme Court in February, this levy expires Friday.

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Analysts expect that new planned tariffs ostensibly over forced labor concerns — ranging between 10 per cent and 12.5 per cent — would replace the temporary duties.

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Greer added Tuesday that the new action will cover the vast majority of U.S. trade.

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But these moves could reignite tensions with major U.S. trading partners. The European Union, China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Japan are all among targeted economies.

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Already, the EU previously said that it considers tariffs imposed on these grounds to be “unjustified.”

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Trump has also unleashed other duties and trade investigations as he presses U.S. partners for further leverage:

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— A 25-per cent tariff on various Brazilian goods taking effect Wednesday;

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— A 50-per cent tariff on many Canadian products kicking in August 19;

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— Trade probes on 16 trading partners over excess industrial capacity.

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– Adding pressure –

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Washington announced Monday a sharp 50-per cent tariff on many Canadian products, starting in 30 days, as U.S.-Mexico talks over a North American free trade pact intensify.

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Greer is set to travel to Mexico from Wednesday to Friday for discussions linked to the joint review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

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But negotiations with Canada have proceeded at a slower pace.

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Some lawyers see Trump’s use of an untested legal provision — Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 — as a means to gain leverage over Canada in CUSMA negotiations.

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Beyond the CUSMA, trade lawyer Dave Townsend of Dorsey & Whitney added that “Canada has thus far not agreed to a framework trade agreement with the United States,” unlike other countries.

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The higher tariffs “appear to be aimed at encouraging an agreement between Canada and the United States, or in retaliation for the failure to reach such agreement, or both,” he added in a statement.