The U.S. Trade Representative’s office said late on ​Thursday (March 12, 2026) it had begun Section 301 unfair trade practices probes of ‌60 economies in relation to what it called ​failures to take action on forced labour. President Donald ⁠Trump’s administration has sought to rebuild tariff pressure on countries around the world after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his global ‌tariffs as illegal on February 20.

“These investigations will determine whether foreign governments have taken sufficient steps to ‌prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labour ‌and ⁠how the failure to eradicate these abhorrent practices ⁠impacts U.S. workers and businesses,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement.

The list of 60 countries and economies includes some major U.S. trade ​partners and allies such ‌as Australia, Canada, the EU, Britain, Israel, India, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. China and Russia are also on the list.

The government in Taiwan, which is listed too, ‌said in a statement that it is committed to ​improving labour rights and preventing forced labour, and will work with the U.S. to emphasize human rights, ⁠resilience, and sustainable governance.

Mr. Trump imposed a 10% tariff for 150 days under Section 122 of the Trade Act of ‌1974 after the Supreme Court’s ruling. On Wednesday (March 11, 2026), his administration said it was launching trade investigations into excess industrial capacity in 16 major trading partners.

The U.S. has already cracked down on solar panels and other goods from China’s Xinjiang region under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, signed ‌into law by former President Joe Biden.

Mr. Greer said he wanted other countries ​to enforce bans on goods produced with forced labour similar to those enshrined in a nearly century-old ⁠trade law.

The U.S. alleges that Chinese authorities have established labour ⁠camps for ethnic Uyghur and other Muslim groups. Beijing denies allegations of abuse.

Mr. Greer said he hoped to ‌conclude the Section 301 investigations, including proposed remedies, before Trump’s temporary tariffs expire in July.

Beijing dismissed on Friday (January 23, 2026) concerns from United Nations experts over the scale and severity of allegations of forced labour affecting minority groups in China, calling them “fundamentally groundless”.

UN special rapporteurs and other experts said on Thursday (January 23, 2026) there were “persistent” allegations of State-imposed forced labour affecting ethnic minorities within the far-western Xinjiang region and other parts of China.

When asked about the comments, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry said that “slander cannot be tolerated”.

“The so-called concerns of certain experts are entirely fabricated and fundamentally groundless,” spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters at a regular press briefing.

“We urge the experts… [to] perform their duties impartially and objectively and not be reduced to serve as tools and accomplices of anti-China forces,” Guo added.

The UN experts said in a joint statement that forced labour was being enabled through a State-mandated “poverty alleviation through labour transfer” programme, which they said coerces Uyghurs and members of other minority groups into jobs in Xinjiang and other regions.

They also said Tibetans were subject to forced labour through similar schemes, estimating around 650,000 people were affected by labour transfers in 2024.

Beijing has repeatedly and vehemently denied accusations of human rights abuses against the Uyghurs, saying that these initiatives reduce poverty by providing well-paying jobs for low-income rural residents.

UN special rapporteurs are independent experts mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to report their findings. They do not, therefore, speak on the UN’s behalf.

Guo said on Friday (January 23, 2026) that the development and progress in Xinjiang and Tibet are “evident to all”.