U.S. launches major trade investigations into 60 economies over forced labor practices. The Section 301(b) probes target China, the European Union, India, Mexico and dozens of other nations accused of failing to prevent imports of goods made with forced labor. This marks the second wave of Section 301 investigations in as many days, following Wednesday's probe into excess industrial capacity across 16 economies. Section 301 authority allows the U.S. to impose tariffs without congressional approval, a tool the Trump administration is using strategically after the Supreme Court struck down reciprocal tariffs last month. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated these investigations will determine whether foreign governments have taken sufficient steps to ban forced-labor goods and how their failures impact American workers and businesses.
