Key facts
- The U.S. Trade Representative's office will release its final action on forced labor investigations as soon as Thursday.
- The investigations cover 60 trading partners and relate to concerns about forced labor.
- The action is based on Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act.
- A temporary 10-percent global tariff imposed by the Trump administration is set to expire on Friday.
The U.S. Trade Representative's office is poised to release its final decision on trade investigations into 60 countries concerning forced labor practices, with the announcement expected as early as Thursday. USTR Jamieson Greer stated in a written submission to the Senate Committee on Finance that the office would unveil its "final responsive action" regarding the failure of these trading partners to address international trade in goods produced by forced labor.
These investigations, conducted under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, are part of the Trump administration's broader trade strategy. The administration has been seeking to implement new tariffs following the Supreme Court's invalidation of previous "reciprocal" tariffs in February. Greer emphasized that the U.S. is unique in its enforcement of such rules and that the current trade strategy aims to support economic reindustrialization, protect American workers, and reduce the trade deficit.
The impending announcement comes as a temporary 10-percent global tariff, enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, is scheduled to expire on Friday. Last month, the USTR proposed a 12.5 percent tariff on South Korea and other nations for allegedly failing to ban products made with forced labor. The South Korean government has formally requested the U.S. reconsider this proposal, deeming it unwarranted and disproportionate.