USTR opens Section 301 probes
- The Office of the United States Trade Representative began public hearings April 28 on two Section 301 cases opened in March by Ambassador Jamieson Greer. - One case covers 16 economies including China, the European Union, Mexico and India; the other covers 60 trading partners over forced-labor import bans. - The probes could lead to new duties or import limits after hearings conclude in May. (ustr.gov)
The Office of the United States Trade Representative opened Section 301 hearings on April 28 in a pair of trade cases that could lead to new tariffs or import restrictions. (ustr.gov) (govinfo.gov) Section 301 is the trade law Washington uses to investigate foreign government practices it says are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden U.S. commerce. Ambassador Jamieson Greer self-initiated one investigation on March 11 into structural excess capacity in manufacturing and another on March 12 into failures to block goods made with forced labor. (ustr.gov 1) (ustr.gov 2) The manufacturing case targets 16 economies: China, the European Union, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Japan and India. USTR said those economies appear to have production capacity untethered from domestic and global demand, creating overproduction, trade surpluses, and idle capacity. (ustr.gov) (federalregister.gov) The forced-labor case is broader. It covers 60 of the largest U.S. trading partners, which USTR said accounted for more than 99% of U.S. imports in 2024. (ustr.gov 1) (ustr.gov 2) USTR defines the issue as whether those governments have imposed and effectively enforced bans on imports made with forced labor. Its fact sheet cites International Labour Organization estimates that 28 million people were in forced labor in 2021, up 2.7 million from 2016. (ustr.gov) The hearing calendars are split. The forced-labor hearings are scheduled for April 28 and April 29 at the U.S. International Trade Commission, while the manufacturing overcapacity hearings are set for May 5 and may continue through May 8. (ustr.gov) (federalregister.gov) The remedies on the table are concrete. The Federal Register notice says USTR is considering the level and scope of any additional duties, the level and scope of any import restrictions, and the aggregate amount of trade that could be covered. (govinfo.gov) That makes these cases different from a narrow country-by-country dispute. USTR has grouped economies into systemwide investigations aimed at manufacturing overcapacity and forced-labor enforcement across major trading partners. (ustr.gov 1) (ustr.gov 2) The next formal step is post-hearing rebuttal comments, due seven calendar days after each hearing ends. After that, USTR will decide whether either investigation warrants trade action under Section 301. (federalregister.gov)
