By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The United States Trade Representative opened investigations into whether 60 foreign governments, including Pakistan, have neglected to ban imports of goods produced with forced labor, a step that could lead to fresh tariffs as the Trump administration seeks to reshape US trade enforcement.
The probes, announced in a statement released March 12, target a broad roster of American trading partners that includes the European Union, China, Japan, India, Mexico, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Pakistan and Vietnam. They focus on whether those governments have “failed to impose and effectively enforce measures banning goods produced with forced labor from entering their markets,” the USTR said.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer tied the issue directly to American competitiveness. “Despite the international consensus against forced labour, governments have failed to impose and effectively enforce measures banning goods produced with forced labour from entering their markets,” Greer said in the statement. “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 labour.”
The goal, he added, is to determine “whether foreign governments have taken sufficient steps to prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labour and how the failure to eradicate these abhorrent practices impacts U.S. workers and businesses.”
The investigations were self-initiated under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and Section 302(b), which authorize the USTR to act against foreign practices deemed unjustifiable, unreasonable or discriminatory. They followed consultations with the inter-agency Section 301 Committee and relevant advisory panels. The timing adds friction to recent US-Pakistan efforts to deepen economic ties.
Last month, Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met in Washington with US Commerce Secretary Howard A. Lutnick, where both sides voiced a desire to expand cooperation. The new probe arrives as Pakistan grapples with the lingering effects of a 29% tariff the US imposed on its goods last year. Economists said that levy created immediate market disruptions because the United States remains, by a wide margin, Pakistan’s largest export destination — one that Pakistani businesses would struggle to replace.
The USTR’s move also fits into a broader Trump administration push to replace duties struck down by the Supreme Court. Any findings of violations could open the door to new penalties, including tariffs or other trade restrictions. The USTR will now request consultations with the governments under investigation. Public hearings are scheduled for April 28, 2026. Written comments, requests to appear at the hearings, and summaries of testimony are due by April 15.
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