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.
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. Algeria
2. Angola
3. Argentina
4. Australia
5. The Bahamas
6. Bahrain
7. Bangladesh
8. Brazil
9. Cambodia
10. Canada
11. Chile
12. China, People’s Republic of
13. Colombia
14. Costa Rica
15. Dominican Republic
16. Ecuador
17. Egypt
18. El Salvador
19. European Union
20. Guatemala
21. Guyana
22. Honduras
23. Hong Kong, China
24. India
25. Indonesia
26. Iraq
27. Israel
28. Japan
29. Jordan
30. Kazakhstan
31. Kuwait
32. Libya
33. Malaysia
34. Mexico
35. Morocco
36. New Zealand
37. Nicaragua
38. Nigeria
39. Norway
40. Oman
41. Pakistan
42. Peru
43. Philippines
44. Qatar
45. Russia
46. Saudi Arabia
47. Singapore
48. South Africa
49. South Korea
50. Sri Lanka
51. Switzerland
52. Taiwan
53. Thailand
54. Trinidad and Tobago
55. Türkiye
56. United Arab Emirates
57. United Kingdom
58. Uruguay
59. Venezuela
60. Vietnam
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