Asian countries and analysts showed disappointment over the White House's tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% as a response against 60 economies' alleged inaction against forced labor.
Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua criticized the tariffs, saying the "abuse" remains the same even if the legal basis of the tariffs has changed.
"Once again, the United States has found a new excuse to abuse tariffs," Xinhua said in its news analysis. China faces a 12.5% tariff.
Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said the U.S. did not have any basis for imposing tariffs against the city-state.
"The U.S. has a trade surplus against us, and in fact it is growing, and on that basis, there really is no technical or economic basis to impose tariffs upon us," Balakrishnan said in a press conference on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Manila, Philippines.
South Korea's Trade Ministry said it will continue close consultations with the U.S., adding Washington's forced labor findings "partially alleviated" the uncertainty surrounding the tariffs.
For New Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative, the U.S. has not produced proof that Indian goods are made with forced labor, Nikkei Asia reported separately the same day.
