Experts say the United States (US) is pivoting to a new legal strategy to impose tariffs on its trade partners, following a significant blow to US President Donald Trump’s economic agenda.
This comes after the US Supreme Court struck down a key pillar of the administration’s tariff policy in February, ruling that the President exceeded his authority under emergency laws.
In a fresh move, the US has now announced a targeted probe into whether sixty nations-including South Africa-are doing enough to block goods produced with forced labour.
The investigation has raised fears of looming trade restrictions and new duties for South African exporters. International trade Lawyer Kholofelo Kugler explains.
“The February 24, the Section 122 tariffs came into force, whereby the Trump administration levied a 10% duty on all countries. As you know, that that measure will expire in 150 days from the day that it was imposed. So essentially, by midnight on July 24, 2026. So essentially, these investigations seek to counteract the expiry of those Section 1 to 2 tariffs.”
–SABC–
