US USTR 'Section 301 Forced Labor Investigation' Public Hearing... Pro-Tariff and Human Rights Groups Attend

US USTR 'Section 301 Forced Labor Investigation' Public Hearing... Pro-Tariff and Human Rights Groups Attend

For two days, 28th-29th... A procedural step to impose new tariffs to replace reciprocal tariffs

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) held a public hearing on the 28th (local time) regarding the Section 301 investigation into 60 economic entities believed to be inadequately prohibiting the import of products made with forced labor.

About 40 representatives from groups advocating for US tariffs, human rights organizations, and industry associations attended the public hearing.

Reuters reported that the 'Coalition for a Prosperous America,' a group supporting tariff imposition, argued that forced labor acts as a hidden subsidy in the production process and that tariffs should be supplemented with appropriate measures related to import volumes.

A representative from the human rights organization 'Global Rights Compliance' emphasized that the US should seek mandatory measures to prohibit the import of products made with forced labor as part of trade agreements with other countries, citing forced labor in China's Xinjiang Uyghur region.

The public hearing will be held for two days until the 29th. On the 29th, some government officials from Pakistan, Mexico, Ecuador, and other countries are scheduled to attend.

On the 12th of last month, the Trump administration announced an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act regarding whether the import of products involving forced labor in their production process is effectively prohibited, targeting 60 major trading partners including South Korea, Japan, China, and the European Union (EU).

After the US Supreme Court invalidated country-specific reciprocal tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in February, the Donald Trump administration plans to impose new tariffs to fill the void left by reciprocal tariffs before late July, based on investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act.

Although related procedures such as written submissions and public hearings are underway, since these are meant to replace reciprocal tariffs, expressing opinions to the USTR is effectively not very meaningful.

USTR is also investigating the overproduction issues of 16 economic entities, including South Korea, China, and Japan, by invoking Section 301 of the Trade Act. A public hearing is scheduled for early May.

Section 301 of the Trade Act grants the administration the authority to respond to unfair, unreasonable, and discriminatory acts, policies, or practices of foreign governments that restrict or burden US trade, including through the imposition of tariffs.