Washington, DC [US], March 12 (ANI): The administration of President Donald Trump has initiated fresh investigations into alleged “unfair trade practices” by 16 major trading partners, including India, China, and Bangladesh. The move aims to reinstate tariff pressure following a US Supreme Court ruling last month that declared previous levies illegal.
The inquiries are being conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which grants the US Trade Representative the authority to enforce tariffs or other punitive actions against nations found to be engaging in unfair trade practices.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer indicated that the investigations could result in new tariffs being imposed on China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, and Mexico by the coming summer.
The “excess capacity” probe also extends to several other partners, including Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Switzerland, and Norway. Canada, the second-largest trading partner of the United States, was notably excluded from the list.
Greer explained to reporters during a conference call that the investigations will focus on economies for which there is evidence of structural excess capacity and production in various manufacturing sectors, such as through large and persistent trade surpluses or underutilized manufacturing capacity.
In addition to the capacity probe, Greer announced that he would launch a separate investigation on Thursday under Section 301. This second inquiry aims to prohibit US imports of products manufactured using forced labor and is expected to cover more than 60 nations.
While the United States has previously targeted solar panels and other commodities from China’s Xinjiang region under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, the new investigation could expand such restrictions to other countries.
Greer also expressed a desire for international partners to adopt similar bans on goods produced with forced labor, referencing standards contained in a nearly century-old trade law.
Washington has repeatedly alleged that Chinese authorities have established labor camps for ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslim groups in the western region. Beijing, however, has consistently denied the accusations.
Greer said his department intends to complete the Section 301 probes, including any proposed remedies, before the temporary tariffs introduced by Trump in late February expire in July.
Following the Supreme Court’s February 20 decision to strike down global tariffs, Trump used Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a 10 percent tariff for a 150-day period.
The timeline for the excess capacity investigation is expected to move quickly, with public feedback open until April 15 and a public hearing scheduled for around May 5.
The proceedings provide the Trump administration with a mechanism to reestablish a “credible tariff threat” aimed at keeping trading partners engaged in negotiations. The strategy seeks to enforce trade agreements originally designed to reduce the higher tariffs previously imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Greer noted that the measures had been long anticipated and should not come as a surprise to international partners. He urged countries to comply with their existing agreements but did not guarantee that doing so would shield them from new Section 301 tariffs.
Emphasizing the President’s determination, Greer said Trump “will find a way to deal with unfair trading practices. He’ll find a way to get our trade deficit down. He’ll find a way to protect US manufacturing. We have a lot of tools to do it.” (ANI)
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