US uses forced labour ‘pretext’ for fresh tariffs: Cambodian deputy PM

Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia Sun Chanthol speaks at the press conference yesterday. CDC

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol asserted that the United States weaponised forced labour as a regulatory pretext to levy fresh trade tariffs.

Washington announced it would impose Section 301 tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on imports across 60 global economies, citing inadequate enforcement against exploitative production practices. For Cambodia, the decision resulted in a 10% tariff tier.

Rejecting the rationale, Chanthol maintained that neither forced labour nor tainted raw material procurement exists within domestic supply chains.

“The United States found procedures that, in simple language, serve as a pretext to collect tariffs,” he said during a press conference.

Officials argue the measures function primarily as fiscal collection tools rather than genuine humanitarian interventions, though Cambodia secured a lower comparative rate than regional rivals. Xinhua

-Khmer Times-