2 days ago
WASHINGTON – This week, Ambassador Greer initiated a series of Section 301 investigations aimed at ensuring fair competition for American workers and businesses. On March 11, Ambassador Greer launched Section 301 investigations into multiple economies to evaluate potential structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors. The next day, he initiated 60 Section 301 investigations to determine whether foreign governments have adequately prevented the importation of goods made with forced labor.
Top headlines include:
- Reuters: US opens new unfair trade practices probe of 60 countries over forced labor
- CNBC: U.S. launches fresh Section 301 probes into 60 economies over forced-labor trade practices
- WSJ: Trump Targets Industrial Subsidies and Forced Labor in Tariff Probes
- Washington Examiner: USTR opens investigations into 60 countries over unfair trade practices
- Axios: Trump administration launches new trade investigation
- CBS News: Trump administration takes steps to impose new tariffs, announcing investigations into key trading partners
- Supply Chain Dive: Trump admin probes foreign manufacturing production, capacity
- The Hill: White House launching unfair trade investigations, rebuilding tariff pressure
The USTR-led investigations have received strong support from American steelworkers, farmers, and manufacturers:
United Steelworkers International President Roxanne Brown: The USW welcomes the USTR’s investigations into global overcapacity and forced labor, issues our union has long fought against to protect workers’ rights and restore fair trade. Global overcapacity has harmed manufacturing sectors like steel and aluminum, damaging communities and threatening national security. We must expose those exploiting workers and profiting from forced labor to improve conditions worldwide. Workers have endured a broken trade system for decades; now is the time for relief.
Steel Manufacturers Association Executive Vice President Brandon Farris: The Steel Manufacturers Association applauds the USTR for launching long-overdue Section 301 investigations into structural excess capacity and overproduction in global manufacturing. Excess capacity has been a major cause of U.S. manufacturing job losses for years. This situation requires decisive action, and the USTR is right to act swiftly. We look forward to collaborating closely with the USTR to address excess capacity that has undermined American manufacturing and cost jobs.
American Iron and Steel Institute President and CEO Kevin Dempsey: AISI commends USTR for initiating these investigations to tackle global structural excess capacity and unfair trade practices. We also support efforts addressing failures to act on forced labor, which violate human rights and distort markets by allowing products made under abusive conditions to undercut responsible producers. These investigations are a critical step toward restoring fair, market-oriented competition. Strong enforcement of trade laws will help American steelmakers compete fairly while supplying essential materials for the nation’s manufacturing, infrastructure, and economic security. This marks another important step toward a comprehensive policy addressing unfair trade practices in steel.
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain: The UAW welcomes the U.S. Trade Representative’s efforts to confront companies and countries using wage suppression and anti-union laws. For decades, good jobs have been offshored to countries where workers lack rights and living wages. Factories continue to close, hurting the working class. Instead of driving a race to the bottom, we need trade policies that prioritize workers.
Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul: Overcapacity is a serious issue. We commend the administration for initiating these investigations, which we hope will lead to meaningful actions defending American workers and manufacturers.
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations President Liz Shuler: The AFL-CIO strongly supports USTR’s investigations into global overcapacity and forced labor. For decades, countries have flooded industrial markets to tilt trade balances and undermine domestic producers, harming union workers and their jobs. Forced labor in global supply chains violates human dignity and labor rights, undermining American competitiveness and harming responsible manufacturers and workers. Addressing these injustices is essential to restoring fairness, equity, and respect for workers’ and human rights worldwide.
Northwest Horticultural Council President Mark Powers: The Northwest Horticultural Council supports the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to hold trading partners accountable and ensure fair access for U.S. exporters. Many countries enjoy preferential access to the U.S. market while denying fair access to U.S. apple, cherry, and pear growers for decades. The administration has successfully leveraged trade agreements with Taiwan and Indonesia to improve tree fruit access.
American Council for Capital Formation President and CEO George David Banks: The American Council for Capital Formation strongly supports USTR’s initiation of Section 301 investigations into economies failing to enforce bans on forced labor imports. This bold action levels the playing field for American workers and businesses by countering unfair advantages from exploitative practices abroad.
Coalition for a Prosperous America President Jon Toomey: The Trump administration’s decision to launch these investigations, led by Ambassador Greer, reflects a serious and long-overdue effort to address structural forces that have hollowed out much of America’s manufacturing base. For decades, foreign governments have pursued industrial strategies involving subsidies, suppressed wages, state-owned enterprises, and other policies that generate massive excess production and push surplus goods into global markets. The U.S. market has absorbed much of this surplus, with devastating consequences for American producers and workers. These investigations recognize that such practices directly undermine U.S. manufacturing and investment.
