🇺🇸❌🇿🇦 The Office of the United States Trade Representative published its report on 60 economies that failed to prohibit imports of goods made with forced labor:

"South Africa has failed to impose and effectively enforce a forced labor import prohibition. In section IV, we found that the failure to impose and effectively enforce a forced labor import prohibition is unreasonable. In section V, we found that the failure to impose and effectively enforce a forced labor import prohibition burdens or restricts U.S. commerce.

Some comments suggest that South Africa’s existing labor laws, anti-trafficking laws, and customs laws provide a legal framework for South Africa to prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labor. A legal framework that could provide a basis for a forced labor import prohibition, however, is distinct from a measure that forbids legally the importation of goods produced with forced labor.

For the foregoing reasons, the results of this investigation indicate that the acts, policies and practices of South Africa related to the failure to impose and effectively enforce a forced labor import prohibition are unreasonable and burden or restrict U.S. commerce."

📝 The US is proposing to impose an additional 12.5% tariff (duty) on virtually all products imported from South Africa as a responsive action under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.

@SouthAfricaReports