Washington: The US administration has initiated investigations into 60 countries for allegedly failing to prevent the importation of goods produced using forced labor. This action is being conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which could lead to Washington imposing tariffs or other trade restrictions.
According to Anadolu Agency, the extensive probe encompasses major trading partners such as China, the European Union, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, India, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Switzerland, Norway, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and Trkiye. It also includes numerous countries across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Other nations involved in the investigation are Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that the investigations seek to ensure that foreign producers do not obtain an unfair advantage through the use of forced labor. "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," Greer mentioned in a statement.
USTR documents reveal that many countries lack stringent restrictions on imports made with forced labor, which potentially allows companies to source and profit from such products, putting US firms at a disadvantage. The Section 301 investigations aim to evaluate whether governments have adequately blocked these imports and the subsequent effects on US workers and businesses.
No tariffs have been announced yet, but Section 301 authorizes the USTR to impose duties or import restrictions if unfair trade practices are identified. The administration increasingly utilizes Section 301 to revive tariff strategies, particularly following last month's Supreme Court decision that invalidated numerous Trump-era tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
This announcement follows a separate Section 301 investigation launched a day earlier into 16 trading partners over 'structural excess capacity' in manufacturing. Officials perceive these investigations as a more sustainable approach to implementing broader US tariff measures.