The Trump administration has launched new probes into alleged ‘unfair trade practices’ by 16 major trading partners, including India, China, and Bangladesh. The move seeks to reimpose tariff measures after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month that the duties were unlawful.
The investigations are being conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorizes the U.S. Trade Representative to impose tariffs or other punitive measures against countries deemed to be engaging in unfair trade practices.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that the Section 301 investigation into unfair trade practices could result in new tariffs on countries such as China, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and the European Union by this summer.
The probe could enable the United States to impose import duties on goods from any nation found to be engaging in unfair practices. Greer added that he aims to complete the investigations before the temporary tariffs introduced by Trump in late February expire in July.
The investigation also covers major other trade allies, including Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Switzerland, and Norway.
Greer noted that the investigations will target economies where evidence suggests structural excess capacity and overproduction in manufacturing sectors, reflected in persistent trade surpluses or unused capacity. In addition, he declared plans to launch a separate Section 301 investigation on Thursday, which will focus on banning imports of goods produced with forced labor and is expected to cover more than 60 countries.
These proceedings give the Trump administration a way to restore tariff threat and keep trading partners engaged in negotiations.
Greer emphasized that such measures had long been expected and urged nations to honor their existing commitments, though he cautioned that compliance would not necessarily shield them from future Section 301 tariffs.
Notably, Canada, the second-largest trading partner of the United States, was not mentioned in the list.
TRAVEL & TOURISM | WTTC Warns Iran Conflict Costs Middle East Travel Sector $600M Daily
