The United States Trade Representative determined under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 that the acts, policies, and practices of 60 economies related to the failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor is unreasonable and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce, and are thus actionable under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has prepared a comprehensive report, Acts, Policies, and Practices of Various Economies Related to the Failure to Impose and Effectively Enforce a Prohibition on the Importation of Goods Produced with Forced Labor, that supports the findings in each investigation.
“The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labor is unacceptable. This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing field,” said Ambassador Jamieson Greer. “We will no longer tolerate this disparity. Some trading partners have taken initial steps to prevent the importation of forced labor goods, including through USMCA and commitments in Agreements on Reciprocal Trade. However, each of our trading partners must do more to ensure that trade does not perversely encourage and entrench forced labor globally.”
As a result of these determinations in the investigations, the U.S. Trade Representative has proposed responsive action for public comment.
Specifically, the U.S. Trade Representative proposes additional duties on all products of the investigated economies, except as provided in Annex A to the Federal Register notice. For economies that impose a forced labor import prohibition, that have committed to impose and enforce such a prohibition through an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, or economies that have imposed a partial regime with the effect of preventing the importation of certain forced labor goods, the U.S. Trade Representative proposes 10% as the rate of additional duties. For all other economies, the U.S. Trade Representative proposes 12.5% as the rate of additional duty. The U.S. Trade Representative also proposes a textile mechanism that would allow for a certain volume of apparel and textile imports from certain economies to enter the United States at a reduced Section 301 tariff rate.
To be assured of consideration, interested persons should submit requests to appear at the hearings, along with a summary of testimony by June 22, 2026.
Written comments are due by July 6, 2026.