The Trump administration is turning up the trade heat again. It launched two new trade investigations on Wednesday. The first one targeted excess industrial capacity among 16 major trading partners, and another probing imports made with forced labour across more than 60 countries.
The moves come after a Supreme Court ruling last month knocked out the centrepiece of US President Trump’s tariff programme, leaving the administration scrambling to rebuild its trade arsenal.
The US Supreme Court struck down Trump’s global tariffs on February 20. It found that tariffs imposed under national emergencies law were illegal. Trump has since imposed a temporary 10% tariff for 150 days under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to fill the gap while new investigations proceed.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the Section 301 unfair trade practices investigation. It could lead to new tariffs on several major economies by this summer.
Countries in the crosshairs include China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea and Mexico. Also under scrutiny are Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Switzerland and Norway. Canada, the second-largest US trading partner, was not named.
Greer reportedly said the investigations would focus on economies showing structural excess capacity in manufacturing. Evidence of large persistent trade surpluses or unused production capacity would be examined. So would government subsidies, suppressed domestic wages, state-owned enterprise activity, weak environmental and labour standards, subsidised lending and currency practices.
The timeline is tight. Public comments will be accepted until April 15. A hearing is scheduled around May 5. Greer said he hopes to wrap up the investigations, including proposed remedies, before July when the temporary 10% tariff expires.
The forced labour probe would be launched on Thursday, Greer said. The US already restricts solar panels and other products from China’s Xinjiang region under the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act, signed by former president Joe Biden. The new probe could extend similar measures to other countries.
Washington has accused Chinese authorities of running labour camps for ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. Beijing denies the allegations.
The investigations come at a delicate diplomatic moment. US officials led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are preparing to meet Chinese counterparts in Paris this week. A potential meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing is also being discussed for later this month.
Section 301 has history. During his first term, Trump used a similar probe to justify tariffs of around 25% on many Chinese imports. The legal tool is widely seen as more resilient to court challenges.
Also Read: Trump Tariffs On India Meant To Pressure Russia: White House https://www.vibesofindia.com/trump-tariffs-on-india-meant-to-pressure-russia-white-house/
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