WASHINGTON — The United States will elevate tariffs to 15 percent or more from the current 10 percent baseline for certain trading partners, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced Wednesday, declining to identify specific countries or elaborate further.
In a Fox Business Network interview, Greer clarified that the Trump administration has no plans to surpass existing tariff levels on Chinese imports ahead of President Donald Trump’s upcoming trip to Beijing. “Right now, we have the 10 per cent tariff. It’ll go up to 15 for some and then it may go higher for others,” he stated, aligning hikes with observed global tariff patterns.
The moves replace Supreme Court-overturned emergency duties with fresh ones, including 10 percent provisional tariffs activated February 24 under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which Greer affirmed mesh with current trade pacts. Central to this are Section 301 probes into unfair practices like excess industrial capacity, forced labor, US tech discrimination, and subsidies for rice or seafood.
Greer noted persistent US-China talks on overcapacity, where unprofitable firms persist via state aid, justifying tariffs on China, Vietnam, and others. On potential escalation disrupting the trade truce, he insisted: “We don’t intend to escalate beyond current rates. We intend to stick to the deal.
“Section 301 will also enforce recent accords, such as Indonesia’s acceptance of 19 percent US tariffs and market openings; a probe there will scrutinize capacity and fisheries, gauging compliance to set duties. Meanwhile, Section 232 national security reviews continue for strategic sectors, with Commerce advancing diligently.