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BRUSSELS - The European Commission has expressed relief over new tariffs of 10 to 12.5 per cent announced by the United States following an investigation into forced labour in the supply chain of traded goods, reported German news agency dpa.
"The EU notes positively the fact that this outcome is in line with the US tariff commitments agreed under the EU-US Joint Statement," a spokesman for the commission said on Friday, alluding to a tariff deal that set a ceiling for US tariffs at 15 per cent.
The US announcement "establishes an all-inclusive tariff rate of 10 per cent for the EU, and reintroduces the additional tariff exemptions for the EU, such as cork and diamonds, on top of those on aircraft and parts, generic medicines, and active ingredients," the spokesman said.
The news "also provides positive momentum to continue the work on exploring further tariff exemptions and deepening cooperation across a broad range of areas," he said, citing critical raw materials, economic security artificial intelligence and digital matters as examples.
On Thursday, the United States announced tariffs of 10 per cent or 12.5 per cent on imports from 60 trading partners, citing their failure to introduce and effectively enforce bans on goods made with forced labour. The decision had been widely anticipated.
The additional tariffs came into force at 12:01 am EDT on Friday (0401 GMT). - BERNAMA
