Australia Faces Tariffs Over Forced Labor

The U.S. is threatening tariffs on goods from 60 countries, including Australia, over alleged failures to combat forced labor. Australia’s PM defends the nation’s strong anti-slavery laws, but the U.S. Trade Representative still lists Australia among 54 nations needing reform — proposing a 12.5% tariff. Globally, 50 million people endure modern slavery, with Australia hosting over 41,000 — a number that’s nearly doubled in five years. Despite Australia’s 2018 Modern Slavery Act, an independent review found it lacks enforcement and hasn’t meaningfully helped victims. To avoid tariffs and truly protect workers, Australia must strengthen laws with penalties and ban imports tied to forced labor — a move the U.S. investigation may finally push the country to make. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/5bcbadf7eccce94b