Trump Plots New Blitz After Supreme Court Humiliation

President Donald Trump is poised to unleash fresh tariffs on dozens of countries as soon as this week, according to the Financial Times.

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U.S. officials have prepared options allowing Trump to launch new tariffs on dozens of countries as the president’s 10 percent global duties expire later this week, the Times reported, citing people briefed on the plans.

Washington shifted to a 10 percent global tariff regime after that ruling, but those measures are due to expire on Friday. The administration’s workaround is a new set of duties tied to a forced-labor practices investigation, which would let Trump sidestep the emergency authorities the Supreme Court struck down.

The probe, run by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative under Jamieson Greer, found that 60 economies, including Australia, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, India, China and Russia, had failed to adequately ban goods made with forced labor. Under the proposal, countries with partial bans would face a 10 percent tariff, while those with no prohibitions at all would face 12.5 percent.

While the most immediate new duties are expected to match the 10 percent tariffs already in place, the administration is also pursuing other investigations that could hand it legal authority to impose higher duties down the line.

Behind the scenes, senior officials have been counseling the president to maintain stability with trading partners and honor the deals Washington struck in 2025 to lower their tariffs, the Financial Times reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.

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The renewed trade offensive comes as tensions between the United States and Iran escalate, a conflict that has already rattled global energy markets and threatens to spill into a wider regional war.

Officials have softened some of Trump’s original tariff plans by carving out exemptions for consumer staples like beef and coffee, and easing levies on steel and aluminum products. After two separate investigations into critical minerals and airplane parts, officials recommended holding negotiations with trading partners instead of pushing new tariffs.

“This does not mean that tariff hikes are in the rear-view mirror,” said Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade official who is now senior vice-president at the Asia Society Policy Institute. “But it does suggest that a more cautious approach is now called for, particularly in the lead-up to the midterm elections.”

The tariffs expected to be unveiled this week would apply rates between 10 and 12.5 percent on the 60 targeted countries, a proposal first floated by U.S. trade officials in June.