The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has initiated investigations into 60 economies, including South Korea, China, and Japan, to assess their efforts in prohibiting the importation of goods made with forced labor. These investigations, conducted under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, are part of the Trump administration’s strategy to introduce new tariffs following the recent invalidation of country-specific emergency tariffs by the Supreme Court.
The USTR’s investigations aim to evaluate whether the acts, policies, and practices of these economies concerning the absence of bans on imports produced with forced labor are considered “unreasonable” or “discriminatory” and if they impede US commerce. Countries under scrutiny include South Korea, China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Britain, Australia, Canada, and Taiwan.
USTR Jamieson Greer highlighted the failure of governments to enforce measures prohibiting goods made with forced labor from entering their markets, despite global opposition to forced labor. Greer emphasized the need to address the unfair competition faced by American workers and businesses against foreign producers who may benefit from forced labor practices.
In a separate move, the Trump administration launched a trade inquiry into South Korea, China, Japan, and 13 other economies to investigate alleged “unfair” trade practices related to excessive capacity and production. This inquiry, also under Section 301, enables the USTR to scrutinize unfair foreign trade practices on a country-specific basis.
