US launches trade probes against 60 countries and prepares $166 billion refund for Trump-era tariffs

The United States administration has launched a wide-ranging trade offensive, initiating investigations into 60 economies regarding forced labor and 16 trading partners concerning industrial overproduction. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced these steps as part of a strategy to rebuild tariff pressure following a February Supreme Court ruling. That verdict overturned many tariffs previously imposed by President Donald Trump, forcing the White House to seek new legal grounds for protecting the domestic market. The new investigations, conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act, aim to counter unfair practices that, according to Washington, destabilize the global economy. US tariff policy underwent a drastic change in February 2026 when the US Supreme Court deemed a significant portion of tariffs introduced during Donald Trump's first and second terms illegal. This decision opened the door to claims for refunds of billions of dollars in collected fees and forced the administration to revise its trade protection tools. Historically, Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act was used to combat export barriers, but it now serves primarily as an instrument in overproduction disputes with China and other key partners.

In building economic alliances, Vice President JD Vance met with the Prime Minister of South Korea in Washington on March 12, 2026. Kim Min-seok received thanks from the Vice President for the South Korean National Assembly's adoption of a special investment act. This document enables the fulfillment of a commitment to invest $350 billion in the US, which is intended to shield Seoul from new, higher tariffs. JD Vance emphasized that such partnership is a model for other countries wishing to maintain privileged access to the American market. „We welcome South Korea's bold step, which strengthens our economic ties and industrial security” — JD Vance via Reuters

Parallel to the hardening of its stance towards many countries, Washington made conciliatory gestures in selected sectors, which the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described as a diplomatic success. The US Department of Commerce significantly lowered anti-dumping duties on Italian pasta, which will directly impact the export costs of leading producers from the Apennine Peninsula. Meanwhile, the European Commission called on the US to treat the European Union as an ally in the fight against global overproduction, not as a source of the problem. Brussels argues that joint actions against unfair practices by third countries will be more effective than mutually imposing trade barriers. New tariff rates on Italian pasta: La Molisana: 2.26, Other producers: 9.09, Garofalo: 13.98

The greatest logistical challenge for US authorities remains the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling regarding the refund of unlawfully collected customs duties. U.S. Customs and Border Protection informed that the IT system for processing refunds is between 40% and 80% complete. The agency must refund importers a colossal sum of $166 billion, an operation of unprecedented scale in the history of US trade. This process is closely monitored by federal courts, which have ordered the administration to accelerate work on the payment mechanism to minimize losses for firms affected by the illegal tariffs. Tariff reform and refund process: February 2026 — Supreme Court ruling; March 4, 2026 — Court order for CBP; March 12, 2026 — Trade offensive