Sri Lanka is among 60 countries affected by new United States import tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5%, which are scheduled to take effect today.
The measures, announced by the administration of US President Donald Trump, apply to a broad range of trading partners, including Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the European Union, according to a notice issued by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Thursday.
Greer said the tariffs, ranging between 10% and 12.5%, are intended to address alleged violations related to forced labour. The new duties replace a temporary 10% global tariff introduced earlier this year after the US Supreme Court struck down broader tariff measures.
Sri Lanka is among 17 trading partners that will face a 10% tariff. The group also includes Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago.
According to the Trump administration, these countries have made commitments to adopt and enforce prohibitions on imports linked to forced labour.
Imports from the European Union and Taiwan will also be subject to a 10% tariff.
Meanwhile, goods from 41 other countries that the administration says have not adopted comparable forced labour import prohibitions will face a higher tariff of 12.5%. These countries include China, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Israel, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam, among others.
The tariffs were introduced following an investigation conducted under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974, which allows trade measures in response to what Washington considers unfair foreign trade practices.
Economists note that tariffs are typically passed on to consumers through higher prices, raising concerns that the latest measures could contribute to increased inflation in the United States.
The affected trading partners account for about 99% of total US imports, although a number of exemptions are expected to reduce the overall impact, according to previous estimates by investment bank Macquarie.
The latest tariffs also follow several recent country-specific trade measures announced by the Trump administration, including a 50% tariff on selected Canadian goods, a planned 100% tariff on generic drugmakers from 2028, and a 25% tariff on certain Brazilian imports.
The post Sri Lanka Among Countries Facing New US Import Tariffs from Today appeared first on LNW Lanka News Web.
