Washington: The United States Trade Representative has taken significant steps under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, targeting 60 economies for their failure to effectively enforce prohibitions on goods produced with forced labor. The investigations, initiated on March 12, 2026, aim to determine whether such failures are unreasonable or discriminatory and whether they burden or restrict U.S. commerce.According to The White House, the Trade Representative has determined that the acts, policies, and practices of these economies are actionable under Section 301. This decision has led to the proposal of ad valorem tariffs on goods from these economies. The proposed tariffs include a 10 percent rate for economies that have shown some commitment to prohibiting forced labor but have not effectively enforced it, such as Canada, Ecuador, and the European Union. For economies with more significant failures to impose prohibitions, a 12.5 percent tariff rate has been proposed.Public hearings were held in July 2 026, gathering over 1,600 written comments and testimony from more than 100 witnesses. Based on this feedback, certain products may be exempt from the tariffs if their inclusion could disrupt the U.S. economy or if exempting them encourages economies to fulfill commitments on forced labor prohibitions. The Trade Representative also advised that tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) should be established to encourage certain economies to import U.S. cotton and textiles, thereby reducing reliance on inputs potentially produced with forced labor. However, establishing these TRQs is not feasible until September 1, 2026.The memorandum also details specific tariff rates for goods from the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan, which are structured to align with Most-Favored Nation (MFN) tariffs. The aim is to encourage these economies to fulfill commitments regarding forced labor import prohibitions.In light of recent commitments from economies like Jordan and new prohibitions imposed by others, inclu ding Cambodia and Sri Lanka, the Trade Representative has adjusted the proposed actions to further encourage enforcement of prohibitions against forced labor. Overall, the measures are designed to eliminate the acts, policies, and practices identified as actionable under Section 301, with the ultimate goal of eradicating forced labor from the supply chains of goods entering the U.S. market.