US widens trade offensive, names India in forced-labour imports probe covering 60 economies | Full list

US launches Section 301 probe into 60 economies, including India, to examine enforcement of bans on imports made with forced labour.

• US probes 60 economies, including India, for forced labor imports
• Probe checks if governments ban goods made with forced labour
• Section 301 of Trade Act targets forced labor and manufacturing.

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The United States has initiated investigations into 60 economies, including India, to assess what actions governments have taken to ban imports of goods produced with forced labour, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

The investigation will be conducted under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974, the same law Washington uses to examine whether foreign government policies or practices burden or restrict US commerce.

Announcing the move, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the probe will evaluate whether governments have imposed and effectively enforced measures preventing goods produced with forced labour from entering their markets.

“Despite the international consensus against forced labor, governments have failed to impose and effectively enforce measures banning goods produced with forced labor from entering their markets,” Greer said.

India is among the countries named in the directive. Other economies included in the investigation span Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.

Full list of economies under investigation

Algeria

Angola

Argentina

Australia

The Bahamas

Cambodia

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Brazil

Canada

Chile

China

Colombia

Costa Rica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

El Salvador

European Union

Guatemala

Guyana

Honduras

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Iraq

Israel

Japan

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kuwait

Libya

Malaysia

Mexico

Morocco

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Nigeria

Norway

Oman

Pakistan

Peru

Philippines

Qatar

Russia

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

South Africa

South Korea

Sri Lanka

Switzerland

Taiwan

Thailand

Trinidad and Tobago

Türkiye

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

Uruguay

Venezuela

Vietnam

Second probe announced in two days

The development comes a day after Greer announced another Section 301 investigation targeting 16 economies, including India, to determine whether their manufacturing practices, particularly structural excess manufacturing capacity, burden or restrict US commerce.

That investigation is also being carried out under the Trade Act of 1974, the same legislation being used for the forced-labour import probe.

Section 301 framework

Section 301 of the Trade Act allows the United States to investigate foreign government policies and determine whether they are unreasonable, discriminatory or restrict US commerce.

Such investigations can involve consultations with governments and stakeholders and may lead to trade actions if the USTR determines violations exist.

The new investigation will examine whether governments have adopted and enforced measures preventing goods produced with forced labour from entering their domestic markets.