Trump administration launches global trade offensive: Investigations target 60 countries, new tariffs threatened

The administration of President Donald Trump has launched a broad trade offensive, initiating investigations under Section 301 against 60 economies regarding forced labor practices. Simultaneously, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has launched a separate proceeding concerning excess production capacity in 16 partner countries, aimed at rebuilding Washington's tariff pressure. These actions are led by Jamieson Greer, who as the US Trade Representative traveled to Brussels for talks with European Union representatives. EU diplomats are urging the United States to treat the bloc as an ally in the fight against global overproduction, not as a source of the problem subject to restrictions. Section 301 was a key tool of trade policy during Donald Trump's first term, when it was used to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese goods worth hundreds of billions of dollars. The current scale of the investigations, covering as many as 60 jurisdictions simultaneously, is an unprecedented expansion of this mechanism on a global scale. The US administration argues that fighting unfair competition and forced labor is essential to protect domestic industry and economic security.

International reactions to the US investigations are varied and focused on attempts to diplomatically resolve disputes. Singapore has already announced it will initiate direct talks with USTR to clarify the status of its trade relations in light of the new proceedings. Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance positively assessed a new investment law passed by South Korea, signaling potential areas of cooperation with selected Asian partners. At the same time, Canada and Mexico, preparing for the upcoming review of the USMCA agreement, emphasized the crucial importance of preserving the trilateral nature of this pact. „We are launching these investigations to identify and eliminate unfair practices that harm American workers and companies” — Jamieson Greer via Reuters

Internal White House actions also include analyzing extraordinary steps to stabilize the fuel and agricultural products market. The administration is considering temporarily suspending provisions of the Jones Act, which would facilitate logistics in the face of supply disruptions caused by the conflict with Iran. However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that a final decision on this waiver has not yet been made. A potential relaxation of shipping restrictions aims to prevent sharp spikes in energy prices in the domestic market, which threaten the country's economic stability. 60 (countries) — targeted by forced labor investigation Scope of US Trade Investigations: Forced labor: 60, Excess production capacity: 16

US Trade and Energy Offensive: March 12 — Jones Act Considerations; March 12 — EU Appeal; March 13 — Launch of Investigations