Norway’s top diplomat is firing back at American accusations that the Scandinavian nation hasn’t adequately addressed forced labor issues, calling the claims baseless and arguing they shouldn’t be grounds for new trade penalties.
The dispute emerged after the Trump administration this week unveiled plans for tariffs reaching 12.5% on goods from 60 nations, including Norway, citing their alleged failure to combat products made through forced labor – a characterization numerous American trade allies have disputed.
“We strongly disagree with the U.S. authorities’ assessment that Norway is not doing enough to prevent forced labour,” Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide said in a statement to Reuters late on Thursday.
The foreign minister highlighted his country’s early adoption of anti-forced labor measures, stating: “Norway was among the first countries to introduce legislation to prevent forced labour in supply chains, through the Transparency Act. We have communicated this clearly to U.S. authorities.”
According to experts, business organizations, and certain human rights advocates, President Trump’s proposed tariff strategy against trading partners is unlikely to effectively combat modern slavery and might actually worsen the situation.
