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ARTICLE · 17 JULY 2026

USTR Makes Forced Labor Findings In Section 301 Investigation

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The U.S. Trade Representative has released findings from Section 301 investigations into 60 economies, including China and Hong Kong, determining they failed to prohibit forced labor imports. What trade actions and tariff measures will the USTR implement to address unfair competition from forced labor goods, and how will these findings impact global supply chains in high-risk sectors like solar, textiles, and cotton?

GlobalInternational Law
Jing Zhang
Jing Zhang
Timothy Keeler
Timothy Keeler
Jennifer Parry
Jennifer Parry
Shelby L. Colson
Shelby L. Colson
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On June 2, 2026, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) released its report on Section 301 investigations into whether 60 economies failed to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on importing goods produced with forced labor (the “Report”). The Report, initiated under Section 302(b)(1)(A) of the Trade Act of 1974, found that all of the 60 investigated countries “have failed to impose a legal prohibition on the importation of goods produced wholly or in part with forced labor (“forced labor goods”) and to effectively enforce such a prohibition” and “[t]he failure of [these] economies to impose and effectively enforce a forced labor import prohibition burdens or restricts US commerce by subjecting US producers to unfair competition from forced labor goods in both export markets and the US market, and by displacing foreign goods produced without forced labor or forced labor inputs from their domestic market to the United States and other markets.”

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This Mayer Brown article provides information and comments on legal issues and developments of interest. The foregoing is not a comprehensive treatment of the subject matter covered and is not intended to provide legal advice. Readers should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to the matters discussed herein.

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