“’Unjustified’: EU, Brazil And Others Criticize Latest Trump Tariffs”

What actually happened

The Trump administration imposed new Section 301 tariffs of 10-12.5% on roughly 60 trading partners starting July 24, 2026, citing failures to enforce bans on forced-labor practices. Multiple governments, including the EU, Australia, Brazil, Singapore, New Zealand and Norway, publicly disputed the forced-labor justification, with several explicitly saying it lacked legal or factual grounding.

Key facts

• Tariffs of 10-12.5% hit roughly 60 countries; per The Hill, USTR Jamieson Greer said the action covers 99.4% of U.S. imports.
• EU's Kaja Kallas said the forced-labor rationale was "not really grounded," pointing to EU labor protections like paid vacation.
• Brazil said the tariffs lack any "legal basis" and vowed retaliation via its "reciprocity law"; Australia's Don Farrell called them "unjustified."
• New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon said the underlying U.S. investigation "did not provide meaningful evidence" on forced labor; Norway said it had no basis given its own anti-forced-labor rules.
• Canada faces a 10% levy plus a separate 50% tariff on select exports, set to take effect the following month.
• Per Washington Examiner, this Section 301 route followed a February Supreme Court ruling striking down Trump's earlier "Liberation Day" global tariffs, a workaround the Forbes piece itself doesn't flag in this article.

What to watch for

• Watch whether Brazil actually triggers its reciprocity law and what it targets, since threatened retaliation and enacted retaliation are very different stories.
• Track whether the White House produces the "meaningful evidence" on forced labor that Luxon and others say is missing. If USTR never publishes underlying findings, that strengthens the "pretext" reading these officials are making.
• Canada's 50% tariff on select exports takes effect next month. Carney's "everything is on the table" line is worth revisiting once negotiations conclude.