Washington DC - Dozens of countries have responded to the Trump administration's latest tariff regime, condemning levies as "unjustified" and "inconsistent" with existing obligations.
"These tariffs are unjustified, inconsistent with our free trade agreement, and should be removed," Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell said on Friday after Australia was targeted with President Donald Trump's latest round of tariffs.
Trump on Thursday unveiled a huge wave of tariffs against 60 key trading partners, ranging from 10% to 12.5% on a case-by-case basis. The US justified these levies by claiming they were rolled out due to concerns about forced labor.
Minoru Kihara, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government in Japan, expressed "regret" over the tariffs and insisted Tokyo was obeying international rules.
"We have also confirmed with the United States that it will not impose additional tariffs on Japan that exceed the terms of last year's agreement. We will continue to work closely with the US side," Kihara said.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon used a post on X to condemn the new tariffs, writing that he is "extremely disappointed to see US tariffs on New Zealand and 59 other countries."
"The US investigation did not provide meaningful evidence to support claims in relation to forced labour. Tariffs are not the way – they drive up costs and uncertainty for businesses."
Dozens of countries, including the Philippines and India, expressed disappointment and anger over Trump's latest tariff attack, which serves to further isolate the US from its trading partners and historic allies.
The European Union, however, expressed relief that the new tariffs were in line with what it had expected and prepared for.
"The EU notes positively the fact that this outcome is in line with the US tariff commitments agreed under the EU-US Joint Statement," European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said in a statement.