On March 11, 2026, the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced the beginning of new investigations regarding the “acts, policies, and practices” of various economies under the jurisdiction of Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act. The investigations fall under two categorical types:

• Relating to Structural Excess Capacity and Production in Manufacturing Sectors
• Relating to Failures to Take Action on Forced Labor

Should they be found to be in infraction, it could lead to the implementation of new tariffs on those countries.  

The economies currently under investigation are listed below, and include: 

• 16 countries under investigation for structural excess, which can be found here. 
• 60 countries under investigation for failures to take action on forced labor which can be found here. 

An open docket for comments regarding these investigations will open on March 17, 2026, and will be found here.

Importers of goods from the above countries are encouraged to continue to monitor this situation as it evolves, and work closely with your broker to ensure that you are in the best possible position should these investigations lead to new tariffs being implemented.

This story is evolving, and we will continue to monitor it. To be kept abreast of the latest as it happens, you are encouraged to:

• Visit our Tariff Resource page
• Get in contact with our team at our tariff hotline at 1.888.908.6638
• Email us directly at tariffquestions@pcbglobaltrade.com 
• or subscribe to the Trading Post Newsletter