Section 301 Tariffs Hit 60 Nations: The Inflation Fallout

The Trump administration replaced its expiring 90-day global tariff baseline with something more durable on July 24: Section 301 forced-labor duties covering 60 economies and 99.4% of U.S. imports by value. The legal mechanism matters as much as the headline number. After the Supreme Court struck down the administration's IEEPA-based tariff authority earlier this year, Section 301 is now the most court-tested vehicle available, and the administration used it to reconstruct an import cost floor that has no obvious legal ceiling. Key Takeaways Section 301 tariffs of 10% or 12.5% took effect July 24, covering 60 economies and 99.4% of U.S. imports, timed precisely to replace the prior 90-day gl…