The US trade representative’s office announced on Thursday that it has initiated Section 301 investigations into unfair trade practices by 60 economies, including India, over what it called their failure to address forced labour in imports, Reuters reported.The move comes after US president Donald Trump’s administration sought to rebuild global tariff pressure following the US supreme court’s February 20 ruling striking down his worldwide tariffs as illegal.
“These investigations will determine whether foreign governments have taken sufficient steps to prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labour and how the failure to eradicate these abhorrent practices impacts US workers and businesses,” US trade representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement.
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The list of countries under review includes major US trade partners and allies such as Australia, Canada, the European Union, Britain, Israel, India, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, along with China and Russia. Other nations subject to the probe include Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Trump had earlier imposed a temporary 10 per cent tariff for 150 days under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 after the Supreme Court ruling. On Wednesday, his administration also launched trade investigations into excess industrial capacity in 16 major trading partners. Greer said the Section 301 probe could result in new tariffs on India, China, the EU, Japan, South Korea, and Mexico by this summer.The US has already restricted imports of solar panels and other goods from China’s Xinjiang region under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, signed into law by former President Joe Biden. Greer said he hoped the Section 301 investigations would conclude, including proposed remedies, before Trump’s temporary tariffs expire in July.The US alleges that Chinese authorities have established labor camps for ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslim groups, charges that Beijing denies. Greer said he hoped other countries would enforce bans on goods produced with forced labour, citing a nearly century-old US trade law as a model.
What is Section 301?
Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974 is a key legal tool that allows the United States to investigate and respond to foreign trade practices that it considers unfair or harmful to American commerce. The provision can be used when the US government believes another country’s policies or actions are unjustifiable, unreasonable, or discriminatory and restrict or burden US trade.Under Section 302(b) of the law, the US Trade Representative (USTR) can launch such investigations on its own initiative. Once an investigation begins, it examines whether the acts, policies, or practices of the country concerned violate trade norms or disadvantage US businesses and workers.The process involves consultations with the governments under investigation and input from inter-agency and advisory committees. In the current probe, the USTR has requested consultations with the concerned economies and plans to hold hearings on April 28, 2026. Interested parties can submit written comments or request to appear at the hearing by April 15, 2026.Here is the complete list of countries subject to these investigations:1. Algeria2. Angola3. Argentina4. Australia5. The Bahamas6. Bahrain7. Bangladesh8. Brazil9. Cambodia10. Canada11. Chile12. China, People’s Republic of13. Colombia14. Costa Rica15. Dominican Republic16. Ecuador17. Egypt18. El Salvador19. European Union20. Guatemala21. Guyana22. Honduras23. Hong Kong, China24. India25. Indonesia26. Iraq27. Israel28. Japan29. Jordan30. Kazakhstan31. Kuwait32. Libya33. Malaysia34. Mexico35. Morocco36. New Zealand37. Nicaragua38. Nigeria39. Norway40. Oman41. Pakistan42. Peru43. Philippines44. Qatar45. Russia46. Saudi Arabia47. Singapore48. South Africa49. South Korea50. Sri Lanka51. Switzerland52. Taiwan53. Thailand54. Trinidad and Tobago55. Türkiye56. United Arab Emirates57. United Kingdom58. Uruguay59. Venezuela60. Vietnam
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