“US tariffs” based on forced labor are unjustified. Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said this, referring to the Trump administration’s decision to raise tariffs against countries that exploit forced labor.
“As we have stated in the past, a deal is a deal. On the European side, we are on track to ensure the implementation of the tariff commitments set out in the Joint Declaration by the end of June,” the spokesperson continued. “We expect the United States to fully respect the terms of the Joint Declaration, and the Commission will continue to ensure that the European Union’s interests are fully protected.”
Regarding the point raised by Donald Trump, Gill clarified: “As we have consistently reiterated throughout the process, the European Union fully shares the United States’ concerns about forced labor and remains fully committed to eliminating it from global value chains through concrete action.”
“In 2024, the EU co-legislators adopted the Forced Labor Regulation, one of the most ambitious instruments of its kind in the world. It introduces a ban on placing on the EU market any product made with forced labor, regardless of whether it originates in the EU or a third country,” she concluded.
