More tariffs? U.S. launches new trade probes into 60 economies over forced labor

[Workers at garment factory in Southeast Asia]
Liuser/iStock via Getty Images

The U.S. has launched trade investigations into 60 economies—including China, the European Union, Canada, Mexico, Japan, India and Russia—to check if they failed to ban imports of goods that were produced with forced labor.

The investigations will be conducted under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974, which enables the U.S. to impose tariffs on countries engaging in unfair practices that impact U.S. commerce.

"For too long, American workers and firms have been forced to compete against foreign producers who may have an artificial cost advantage gained from the scourge of forced labor," said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

"These investigations will determine whether foreign governments have taken sufficient steps to prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labor and how the failure to eradicate these abhorrent practices impacts U.S. workers and businesses," he added [https://ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2026/march/ustr-initiates-60-section-301-investigations-relating-failures-take-action-forced-labor].

The announcement came a day after the U.S. launched Section 301 investigations into excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors in 16 countries including China, the European Union, Mexico, Japan and India.

"The United States will no longer sacrifice its industrial base to other countries that may be exporting their problems with excess capacity and production to us," Greer said [https://ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2026/march/ustr-initiates-section-301-investigations-relating-structural-excess-capacity-and-production].

The trade investigations may present an alternative route to replace some of the reciprocal tariffs that the Supreme Court struck down last month.

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