WASHINGTON, 12 March (H.S.): The Trump administration has unleashed a barrage of Section 301 investigations into unfair trade practices by 16 major trading partners, including India and China, signaling a robust push to counter structural excess capacity in manufacturing sectors and rebuild tariff leverage following a pivotal U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the probes on March 11, focusing on acts, policies, and practices deemed unreasonable or discriminatory that burden U.S. commerce under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974.
The targeted economies encompass China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Switzerland, and Norway—while notably sparing Canada, America's second-largest trading partner.
Greer indicated that findings could precipitate new tariffs against heavyweights like China, the EU, India, Japan, South Korea, and Mexico as early as this summer, with public comments accepted through April 15 and hearings slated for early May.
This aggressive timeline aims to supplant temporary 10% tariffs imposed in late February under Section 122, set to expire in July after the Supreme Court invalidated broader global duties on February 20 as unlawful under emergency powers.
The excess capacity scrutiny homes in on persistent trade surpluses and underutilized production, bolstering U.S. manufacturing amid a ballooning trade deficit.
In tandem, Greer launched a separate Section 301 probe into forced labor across over 60 countries, eyeing import bans on tainted goods to mirror U.S. restrictions on China's Xinjiang region via the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. This escalates pressure on global supply chains, urging nations to enact comparable prohibitions.
Administration officials framed the moves as no surprise to partners, urging adherence to prior deals while vowing relentless pursuit of fair trade, deficit reduction, and industrial protection through an array of legal tools.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
