COMBATING FORCED LABOR IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY: Today, the United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer, launched Section 301 investigations into acts, policies, and practices of 60 economies relating to the failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor.
- Forced labor may be understood as work or service extracted from a person under the menace of any penalty for its nonperformance and for which the worker does not offer himself voluntarily.
- For almost 100 years, U.S. law has prohibited the importation of goods mined, produced, or manufactured in whole or in part with forced labor. International law also universally recognizes that forced labor should not be tolerated.
- However, despite this longstanding consensus, the use of forced labor across the world continues to persist and has even increased in recent years.
- For example, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that as of 2021, 28 million people globally are in forced labor, an increase of 2.7 million since 2016.
- Companies using forced labor benefit from artificially lower labor costs, and, as a result, are able to sell their goods at a lower price than they would otherwise. This disadvantages U.S. workers and exporters.
- Ending forced labor is a key priority and an economic and national security imperative for the United States.
- These investigations will focus on 60 top U.S. trading partners, collectively covering more than 99% of U.S. imports in 2024. The 60 trading partners subject to these investigations are listed in the Annex below.
- Some trading partners have adopted measures intended to stop the importation or sale of goods produced using forced labor. Additionally, in the context of ongoing U.S. reciprocal trade agreement negotiations, several countries have committed to adopt such measures. However, none of the economies subject to these investigations appears to have both adopted and effectively enforced a forced labor import prohibition to date.
- These investigations will examine whether these acts, policies, or practices burden or restrict U.S. commerce, and what action, if any, should be taken.
ADDRESSING UNFAIR COMPETITION IN THE GLOBAL MARKET: Ambassador Greer is launching these investigations pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (Trade Act), which authorizes action to respond to unjustifiable, unreasonable, or discriminatory acts, policies, or practices that burden or restrict U.S. commerce.
- Under Section 302(b) of the Trade Act, the U.S. Trade Representative (Trade Representative) may self-initiate an investigation under Section 301.
- Upon initiation of these investigations, the Trade Representative must seek consultations with the economies whose acts, policies, or practices are under investigation. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has requested consultations with the governments of the 60 investigated economies.
- As explained in a formal notice, USTR is inviting public comments by April 15 and will hold a public hearing covering each investigated economy starting on April 28.
ANNEX
Economies subject to these investigations:
1. Algeria
2. Angola
3. Argentina
4. Australia
5. The Bahamas
6. Bahrain
7. Bangladesh
8. Brazil
9. Cambodia
10. Canada
11. Chile
12. China, People’s Republic of
13. Colombia
14. Costa Rica
15. Dominican Republic
16. Ecuador
17. Egypt
18. El Salvador
19. European Union
20. Guatemala
21. Guyana
22. Honduras
23. Hong Kong, China
24. India
25. Indonesia
26. Iraq
27. Israel
28. Japan
29. Jordan
30. Kazakhstan
31. Kuwait
32. Libya
33. Malaysia
34. Mexico
35. Morocco
36. New Zealand
37. Nicaragua
38. Nigeria
39. Norway
40. Oman
41. Pakistan
42. Peru
43. Philippines
44. Qatar
45. Russia
46. Saudi Arabia
47. Singapore
48. South Africa
49. South Korea
50. Sri Lanka
51. Switzerland
52. Taiwan
53. Thailand
54. Trinidad and Tobago
55. Türkiye
56. United Arab Emirates
57. United Kingdom
58. Uruguay
59. Venezuela
60. Vietnam
