US imposes new tariffs on 60 trading partners
The US announced new tariffs on 60 trading partners including the UK, EU, and Canada, escalating trade tensions.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The United States has imposed new tariffs on imports from around 60 trading partners, including the UK, the European Union, Canada, Japan, India, and Australia. The duties range from 10 percent to 12.5 percent and are set to take effect on Friday. The White House says the tariffs are a response to these countries failing to properly stop forced labour in global supply chains. The move comes on the same day that President Trump's previous blanket tariffs expired. Those earlier tariffs had been struck down by the US Supreme Court as illegal, forcing the administration to pay out tens of billions of dollars in refunds. The new tariffs are based on a different legal pretext, using a section of 1970s trade law, which may be harder to challenge in court.
The UK's tariff remains at 10 percent, the same level secured by Prime Minister Keir Starmer last year. However, some goods are exempt, including Scotch whisky and certain medical technologies, which were negotiated to have zero tariffs. The UK's Business and Trade Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, is now back in post and familiar with the issue. Australia's trade minister has already called the tariffs unjustified. The European Union has pushed back, arguing that its labour laws are strong and that the US justification is not grounded. China said trade wars serve no one's interest, with President Xi Jinping expected to visit Washington in September.
The tariffs are the third round of Trump's second term. They are not as steep as some previous tariffs, but they cover 99 percent of all US imports. Critics argue the tariffs hurt American consumers and the economy. The Congressional Budget Office and the Treasury Department have estimated that families are paying an average of $1,700 more. The administration's trade chief defended the tariffs in Congress, claiming core inflation fell. The new tariffs also come as the US is engaged in a war with Iran, which some analysts see as a distraction. The price of oil is rising amid the conflict. Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz called the forced labour justification a ruse, noting that the US itself uses prison labour. The tariffs are expected to remain in place for now, with countries trying to negotiate cutouts.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC NEWS | BBC One | Channel 4 | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The new US tariff strategy follows a Supreme Court ruling that Trump's use of emergency powers for global tariffs was illegal. | · | |||
| The US administration says the tariffs target countries that have failed to stop forced labour. | · | |||
| The US is imposing new tariffs on imports from around 60 trading partners. | · | |||
| Australia's trade minister called the US tariffs unjustified. | · | · | ||
| The Congressional Budget Office and Treasury Department estimate families are paying $1,700 more due to tariffs. | · | · | · | |
| The new tariffs are based on a 1970s trade law and are harder to challenge legally. | · | · | · | |
| The new US tariffs range from 10% to 12.5%. | · | · | · | |
| The tariffs are seen as a distraction from the US war in Iran. | · | · | · | |
| The UK has lost its comparative advantage with the European Union, which now faces the same tariff level. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News provided a concise, factual summary of the tariff announcement, focusing on the range of duties, the list of affected countries, and the legal background. It also briefly mentioned Australia's reaction and the Supreme Court ruling. The tone was neutral and straightforward, with no extended analysis or political commentary.
- “The new duties range from 10 percent to 12.5 percent and target key economic partners.”
- “The new U.S. strategy comes months after a defeat at the Supreme Court, which ruled that Trump's use of emergency powers to apply global tariffs was illegal.”
Sky News focused on the UK perspective, including a reaction from Cabinet Office Minister Sally Jamieson and detailed analysis from their business correspondent. The tone was explanatory, highlighting the legal pretext change, exemptions for Scotch whisky and medical technologies, and the fact that the UK has lost its comparative advantage over the EU. The correspondent noted the tariffs are both an economic and diplomatic tool.
- “We're actually in a better place today than we were yesterday because things like whiskey and medical technologies the tariffs won't apply and actually through the deal that was negotiated with the US, Britain has done better out of it.”
- “What the Trump regime has done here is roll over the tariffs that it's been so keen to impose ever since last spring when Donald Trump signalled a new age of protectionism in the US seeking to impose tariffs on allies and foes alike.”
Channel 4 provided a more critical and analytical take, framing the tariffs as a political distraction from the war in Iran and questioning Trump's human rights justification. The report included a lengthy interview with economist Joseph Stiglitz, who called the forced labour claim a ruse. The tone was sceptical, highlighting the political context of midterm elections and the economic impact on American consumers.
- “Trump strikes again, more global tariffs, the official reason this time, trading partners not cracking down on forced labour. Is the president really championing human rights?”
- “To me, it's amazing the correlation between forced labor and its previous tariffs. It's made out of thin air. It's not based on anything.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.