The Trump administration is hinting that it plans to hit 60 more countries with new tariffs imminently, as top officials defend a 50% levy on Canadian goods announced yesterday and a 25% tariff on Brazilian imports takes effect at midnight.
“We expect to see some action soon,”
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on CNBC this morning, when asked about a report in the Financial Times that 10-12.5% tariffs are in the works for dozens of countries as soon as this week.
Greer said the tariffs are a justified response to “forced labor” in dozens of countries, plus Canadian trade practices. “We have always had trade issues with Canada,” he said. Greer declined to say when the new tariffs will take effect, noting he needs to brief Congress first; he is scheduled to testify before the Senate Finance Committee tomorrow.
Related: US Expands Tariffs, but Tech Continues to Benefit From Broad Exemptions
