economy
March 13, 2026
U.S. launches fresh Section 301 probes into 60 economies over forced-labor trade practices
The forced-labor probes follow Section 301 investigations launched on Wednesday, targeting excess industrial capacity across more than a dozen economies.
TL;DR
- The U.S. launched new trade investigations into 60 economies to determine if they have failed to curb imports of goods made with forced labor.
- These investigations are conducted under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 and include major economies like China, the EU, India, and Mexico.
- U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that governments have failed to impose and enforce measures banning goods produced with forced labor.
- These probes follow earlier Section 301 investigations into excess industrial capacity across 16 economies.
- Experts criticize the broad scope and short timelines of the investigations, suggesting they may alienate partners and hinder cooperation on issues like China's industrial overcapacity.
- The investigations occur ahead of scheduled trade and economic talks between U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese counterpart He Lifeng in Paris.
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