New Zealand authorities have sharply criticized the US decision to impose new import duties, calling the findings of the American investigation implausible and accusing Washington of using the fight against forced labor as an excuse to expand trade restrictions, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reports.
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According to the measures announced by the United States, tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% are being imposed on imports from about 60 countries. For New Zealand, the rate will be 12.5%. Washington explained the measures as the results of an investigation conducted under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The American side assessed how effectively countries prevent goods made using forced labor from entering the market.
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New Zealand’s Trade minister Todd McClay called Washington’s decision “extremely disappointing.”
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“It is simply implausible that imports produced using forced labor play any significant role in the New Zealand economy,” he said.
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According to the minister, Wellington rejects the conclusions of the American investigation, as he believes that it was conducted without due care. McClay noted that the New Zealand side had cooperated in good faith with the Office of the US Trade Representative and the State Department, but the investigation, in his opinion, “creates a legal pretext for imposing broad tariffs, rather than for effectively combating forced labor.”
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The head of the Ministry of Trade warned that the new American measures increase uncertainty in global trade at a time when the international trading system is already under serious pressure. He called on like-minded countries to cooperate more actively to strengthen trade and investment, including by reducing trade barriers.
