Industry News

U.S. Implements New Section 301 Forced Labour Tariffs – Impact on Australian Exporters

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The United States has introduced new import tariffs under its Section 301 Forced Labour measures, targeting goods imported from 60 economies that the U.S. has determined have not adequately prohibited imports produced using forced labour.

As part of these measures, certain Australian origin goods are now subject to an additional 12.5% import duty when entering the United States from 24 July 2026.

The new duty is in addition to any existing U.S. duties and taxes and may impact the landed cost of affected products.

Importantly, this is not a blanket tariff on all Australian exports. Whether the additional duty applies depends on the product's U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) classification, country of origin and whether any published exemptions or transitional arrangements apply.

To assist our clients, we have attached an Indicative Industry Impact Summary outlining the industries most likely to require review.

If your business exports products to the United States, we recommend reviewing your product classifications to determine whether the additional duty may apply. TCF International is available to assist with classification reviews, assessing exemptions and providing advice on the potential impact to your supply chain.

Clients wishing to review the official U.S. Government announcements can access them below:

• USTR Press Release – Section 301 Forced Labour Final Action
• USTR Fact Sheet – Section 301 Forced Labour Measures
• USTR Federal Register Notice (includes tariff schedules and exemptions)

If you have any questions or would like us to review your products, please contact your usual TCF representative.