China and the EU have condemned proposed US tariffs based on forced labor allegations, viewing it as a move to re-establish the US tariff regime.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has proposed new tariffs of up to 12.5 per cent on imports from China and dozens of other trading partners, using a forced-labour investigation to advance what analysts see as a bid to rebuild its tariff regime after recent court setbacks. The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) said on Tuesday that China and 59 other economies failed to prohibit or adequately restrict US imports made with forced labour, subjecting them to punitive action....