The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced on March 11 the initiation of multiple investigations under Section 301 to examine the acts, policies, and practices of various economies related to structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors. The investigations will determine whether these practices are unreasonable or discriminatory and whether they burden or restrict U.S. commerce.
The economies subject to the investigations include China, the European Union, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Japan, and India. According to the USTR, evidence of structural excess capacity may include persistent global and bilateral trade surpluses with the United States and policies that promote production and exports beyond market demand. Examples cited include subsidies, state-owned or state-controlled enterprise activity, suppressed wages, inadequate worker or environmental protections, subsidized lending, currency practices, and barriers to imports.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that many U.S. trading partners are producing more goods than they can consume domestically, which can displace U.S. production or discourage investment in domestic manufacturing capacity. The USTR also noted that over time, the United States has lost significant manufacturing capacity in several sectors or fallen behind foreign competitors.
The investigations will review multiple sectors where excess capacity concerns have been identified. These include electronic equipment, machinery, automobiles and auto parts, iron and steel products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, apparel and textiles, footwear, furniture, plastics and aluminum products, construction goods, and various other manufacturing sectors. Certain sectors were linked to specific economies, such as electronics production in China, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan; automobiles in China, Germany, Thailand, South Korea, Mexico, Japan, and India; and apparel and textile production in Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, China, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
The USTR has requested consultations with the identified economies as required under Section 301. A public comment docket will open on March 17 at https://comments.ustr.gov/s/, with written comments and requests to appear at the public hearing due by April 15. The public hearing is scheduled to begin May 5 and may continue through May 8 if necessary. Post-hearing comments will be due seven days after the close of the hearings.
The USTR indicated it intends to move the investigations forward as quickly as possible, with the goal of concluding them before July 24, when the current 10% tariffs imposed under Section 122 are scheduled to expire. Potential outcomes of the investigations could include negotiated resolutions or trade actions, such as tariffs.
Shortly after announcing this Section 301 investigation, the USTR initiated a separate Section 301 investigation on March 12 into the practices of 60 countries and economies related to the failure to impose or effectively enforce bans on the importation of goods produced with forced labor. According to the USTR, the investigation will determine whether such practices are unreasonable or discriminatory and whether they burden or restrict U.S. commerce.
The countries subject to the investigation include Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, the 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, and Vietnam. Imports from these economies accounted for approximately 99.3% of U.S. imports in 2025, according to the USTR.
The USTR noted that while some economies, including Canada, Mexico, and the European Union, have adopted measures intended to restrict the import or sale of products made with forced labor, the agency stated that none have fully adopted and effectively enforced a comprehensive forced labor import prohibition. The agency further noted that the U.S. Department of Labor has identified 134 products produced with child or forced labor, along with 34 additional products manufactured using inputs produced with child or forced labor. Examples cited include cotton used in garments and textiles, critical minerals used in solar products and auto parts, fish used in fish oil and fish meal, and palm fruit used in palm and kernel oil.
The USTR has requested consultations with the governments of the 60 countries and will hold a public hearing beginning April 28 in Washington, D.C., which may continue through May 1 if necessary. Written comments and requests to appear at the hearing must be submitted by April 15 at https://comments.ustr.gov/s/, and post-hearing comments will be due seven days after the final hearing date. The docket number is USTR–2026–0133. The USTR is also seeking stakeholder input regarding whether the target economies are implementing forced labor bans, whether the absence of such bans harms U.S. workers or exports, and what tariff measures may be appropriate if violations are confirmed.