US Accuses 40+ Countries of Helping China Dodge Tariffs

Background on US Trade Policy

Trump has shaken up global trade with a series of protectionist policies since returning to the White House in January last year. In its latest trade salvo, the administration announced levies of 10 to 12.5 percent on imports from dozens of countries accused of turning a blind eye to forced labour.

A group of 25 Democratic-led US states, including New York, California and Colorado, has challenged those tariffs in court, calling the measures a pretext to reimpose Trump's sweeping "Liberation Day" duties. The US Supreme Court struck down those duties in February.

Official Statements and Expert Analysis

"Every dollar lost to this Great Transshipment Scam is a dollar stolen from American workers, manufacturers, and taxpayers," the trade policy office said in the report. It added that border authorities have employed artificial intelligence to integrate shipment data as part of strengthened enforcement efforts.

"The message to the world is simple. The age of untraceable illegal transshipment is over," the office stated. Amitendu Palit, a trade expert and professor at the National University of Singapore, described the report as the latest effort by the administration to coerce countries into accepting greater market access for US goods.

What Comes Next

China's embassy in Washington, DC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside of regular office hours. The dozens of countries named in the report have yet to publicly respond to its claims. The administration has signalled that strengthened enforcement efforts, including AI-driven shipment data integration, will continue as it pursues what it describes as economic sovereignty.