The latest news: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) held public hearings on April 28-29, 2026, at the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) in Washington, D.C., as part of Section 301 investigations against 60 major trading partners.
The first day of hearings has concluded, with human rights and pro-tariff groups calling for new import bans, tariffs, or quotas on countries including China, and urging trading partners to adopt enforcement mechanisms similar to those of the United States. Industry representatives such as the American Soybean Association warned of the potential risks of broad tariffs.
The focus of these Section 301 investigations is whether these economies have "failed to implement and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor," and whether such actions constitute "unreasonable or discriminatory" practices that burden or restrict U.S. commerce.
60 economies involved: Mainland China, Hong Kong (China), Taiwan (China), European Union, Japan, South Korea, India, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Mexico, Canada, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela.



