What happened to the talk of friendship! Additional tariffs from the US to Turkey

The US administration has put into effect new customs duties targeting trading partners that it claims have not taken sufficient steps to combat forced labor. It was reported that an additional 12.5 percent tariff will be applied to Turkey as part of the decision.

It was stated that the White House invoked Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 following a decision by the US Supreme Court regarding global tariffs under emergency powers. The measure, announced by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, targets countries that have not made a commitment to ban the import of goods produced with forced labor or are argued to have failed to implement such a commitment effectively.

It was noted that the new tariff regulation affects 99.4 percent of US global imports. In the implementation, which was activated after the expiration of the 10 percent tax temporarily introduced at the beginning of the year, major trading partners such as China, the European Union, the UK, Japan, Canada, and India were included in the list alongside Turkey.

While a 10 percent tariff is being applied to 17 countries that have reportedly made the relevant commitments in their own domestic law, the highest rate of 12.5 percent was imposed on 38 countries, including Turkey. Critical raw materials that could create supply shortages in the US economy and essential goods that have no domestic production in the country were exempted from the tax.

International reactions to the decision were not long in coming. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas argued that the justification was not based on a solid foundation, stating that the European Union's labor standards are higher than those of the US. While Brazil described the decision as "arbitrary and protectionist," the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs characterized the forced labor allegations as political manipulation. Australia and Japan also expressed the view that the practice is inconsistent with international trade rules.

IRAN TENSION ALSO ESCALATED

During the period when the tariff decision came to the agenda, tension between Washington and Tehran also rose over maritime security in the Persian Gulf. US President Donald Trump announced in a statement on his Truth Social account that any damage to ships or cargo would be covered by Iranian assets held and controlled by the US.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to Trump's statement via his social media account on X. Araghchi argued that seizing another country's assets based on future claims is an extremely dangerous practice, stating that this approach could create insecurity and chaos in the global financial system.

News Source: 12punto