Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
On March 12, 2026, the United States Trade Representative initiated investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 into the policies and practices of 60 economies concerning their failure to prohibit or effectively enforce bans on importing goods produced with forced labor.
These economies include Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Mexico, and others.
On June 2, 2026, the Trade Representative determined that the acts, policies, and practices of each economy are unreasonable, discriminatory, and burden or restrict U.S. commerce, meeting criteria for action under Section 301(b)(1).
As a result, a proposal was made to impose 10 percent ad valorem tariffs on goods from economies that maintain forced labor import prohibitions but do not effectively enforce them. Certain goods are proposed for exemption from these tariffs.
This approach aims to eliminate the identified unreasonable acts, policies, and practices related to forced labor import prohibitions by using trade remedies under U.S. law.