Azernews.Az

Ulviyya Poladova

Read more

Japan, Australia, South Korea, and New Zealand have criticized new tariffs imposed by the United States on several trading partners, calling the measures "unjustified", AzerNEWS reports.

Japan’s government spokesperson Minoru Kihara said on Friday that Tokyo’s industrial and trade practices comply with international rules. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, he stated that Japan had received confirmation that the United States would not introduce any additional tariffs beyond the agreement reached last year, Kyodo News reported.

The reaction came after Washington announced new tariffs on imports from 60 trading partners, accusing them of failing to prevent goods produced through forced labor from entering international markets. The new duties came into effect on Friday.

It should be noted that Japan and the United States signed an agreement last year that included a 15 percent tariff on Japanese goods.

Australia also rejected the new measures. Trade Minister Don Farrell said Canberra takes the issue of modern slavery seriously but considers the higher tariffs against Australia to be unjustified.

According to ABC News, Farrell said Australia would continue lobbying the US Trade Representative to remove all tariffs imposed on Australian goods.

South Korea, another country affected by the new tariff rates, also stated that Washington had confirmed its commitment to maintaining the existing 15 percent tariff agreement reached last year. The South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said that the United States had reaffirmed its position to preserve the current trade arrangement.

New Zealand also dismissed the US claims, with Trade Minister Todd McClay describing allegations of involvement in trade practices linked to forced labor as unfounded.