USTR Investigating 58 Countries, Hong Kong and EU for Not Stopping Forced Labor Goods
The EU, Hong Kong and 58 countries, from Algeria, Angola and Argentina to the U.K., Venezuela and Vietnam, are being investigated by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for either not barring the import of goods made with forced labor, or, if they have such a law, not adequately enforcing it.
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Imports from these economies accounted for 99.3% of imports in 2025.
In a Section 301 investigation announced late on March 12, USTR wrote that while Canada, Mexico and the EU "have adopted measures intended to stop the importation or sale of products produced using forced labor," and that several countries that signed reciprocal trade agreements also promised to adopt bans, "None of these countries has adopted and effectively enforced a forced labor import prohibition to date."
The notices said 134 products have been identified by the Labor Department as being made with child labor or forced labor, and 34 other products are manufactured with inputs made with child labor or forced labor.
"These inputs made with forced labor include cotton used to produce garments, textiles, thread and yarn; critical minerals used to produce solar products or auto-parts; fish used to produce fish oil and fish meal; and palm fruit used to produce kernel or palm oil used in various cooking oils and biofuels," it said.
"For too long, American workers and firms have been forced to compete against foreign producers who may have an artificial cost advantage gained from the scourge of forced labor," USTR Jamieson Greer said in a press release.
In its Federal Register notice, USTR said it wants to hear from stakeholders about:
- Whether any investigation target is establishing a forced labor import ban, and whether any ban is being effectively enforced.
- Whether a lack of a forced labor ban discriminates against U.S. goods and causes lost exports or lower wages for U.S. workers.
- What tariffs on which products from these countries should be hiked as a result of their inaction.
- The appropriate dollar amount of trade that should face tariff hikes for any target.
Comments are due by April 15, at https://comments.ustr.gov/s/. The docket number is USTR–2026–0133. A public hearing will begin April 28, and if necessary, continue through May 1.
Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., criticized the investigation, pointing out that the Trump administration gutted the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB). ILAB also canceled $500 million in grants to international non-government organizations that monitor labor standards or educate businesses on how to prevent labor abuses, an action criticized by the American Apparel and Footwear Association.
"Instead of taking tough action against actual instances of forced labor around the world, the administration is cooking up sham investigations so they can stack tariffs on things Americans buy from our 60 top trading partners," Wyden said in a press release March 13.
However, the AFL-CIO hailed the announcement saying, "The fact that forced labor is allowed to continue as part of our global supply chain is a violation of human dignity and labor rights, and undermines American competitiveness and labor, harming both the manufacturers that refuse to participate in this exploitation and the workers who lose their jobs to it. Addressing these injustices is essential to restoring fairness, equity, and a respect for workers’ and human rights in the global supply chain. We look forward to contributing to an open and transparent investigation that will respond based on facts, not political agendas."