The United States recently announced a new tariff regime affecting 60 trading partners, marking a continuation of former President Donald Trump’s trade policies following a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that invalidated previous levies. The new tariffs, which range from 10 to 12.5 percent, took effect as the earlier global tariffs of 10 percent expired.

Analysis by the independent group Global Trade Alert indicates that several European countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Belgium, and Italy, have generally benefited from the revised structure. These nations saw reduced tariff rates compared to the prior regime, with Belgium, Spain, and Italy experiencing rate decreases between one and 1.5 percentage points. This relative advantage is attributed to the composition of their exports to the U.S. market and the fact that they received exemptions on certain goods such as diamonds, cork, and pig iron. For example, Italy and Spain benefited from lower rates on products like footwear, woven garments, and handbags.

In contrast, many Asian and Latin American countries faced higher tariffs under the new system. Countries including China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Chile, and Colombia saw rate increases of approximately 0.5 to 1 percentage point. Brazil has been particularly affected, with its effective tariff rate rising sharply from 11 percent to 17.7 percent following separate tariffs imposed earlier this month. This makes Brazil the largest relative “loser” under the new trade measures.

The U.S. administration justifies the updated tariffs as a response to concerns over the use of forced labor in imports, asserting that certain countries have failed to enforce bans against such practices. The policy replaces the 10 percent global tariffs that were initially introduced as a temporary measure after the Supreme Court ruled the earlier tariff levies illegal in February.

Experts note that the structure of the new tariff regime limits the scope for broad legal challenges by requiring disputes to be specific to individual countries, thus preventing a successful contest from invalidating tariffs across the board. George Riddell, managing director of the Goyder trade consultancy, described the move as a strategy to avoid another wholesale collapse of the tariff framework.

Despite the adjustments, the overall average tariff rate remains stable at around 10.8 percent, which is notably lower than the 15.8 percent effective rate at the time of the Supreme Court decision. Meanwhile, the European Union has signaled a cautiously positive response, welcoming the decision not to exceed a 15 percent tariff ceiling previously agreed upon during negotiations at Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in Scotland last year. However, the EU is preparing for a potential new investigation into excess manufacturing capacity in certain sectors, a process that could trigger additional tariffs and push effective rates above the current cap.

This development underscores ongoing tensions in global trade as the U.S. continues to use tariff policy as a tool to address economic and ethical concerns with its trading partners, while allies and competitors alike adapt to the evolving landscape.