US Opens Section 301 Probes Into 60 Economies Over Forced Labor

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has launched new investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 into roughly 60 economies over alleged forced‑labor related trade practices. The probe aims to determine whether governments have taken adequate steps to prevent goods produced with forced labor from entering global trade and the U.S. market.

The investigations cover a wide range of U.S. trading partners, reportedly including major economies such as South Korea, China and Japan. U.S. officials argue that goods linked to forced labor distort competition and raise serious human‑rights concerns while undermining fair trade conditions for American industries.

Under Section 301, the U.S. government has broad authority to respond to what it considers unfair or discriminatory foreign trade practices. If the investigations confirm violations, Washington could impose trade remedies such as additional tariffs or other import restrictions on the countries involved.

The move follows a separate set of Section 301 investigations announced earlier this week targeting excess industrial capacity across more than a dozen economies. Analysts say the dual probes signal a broader strategy by the U.S. administration to strengthen supply‑chain security and protect domestic manufacturing.