Joselito Malig

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><p>MANILA – The Philippines has been named in a list of 60 countries being investigated by the United States over alleged unfair trade practices and failure to block goods produced by forced labor.</p><p>The <a href="https://ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2026/march/ustr-initiates-60-section-301-investigations-relating-failures-take-action-forced-labor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Office of the US Trade Representative</a> (USTR) said the probe will focus on whether these countries’ lack of enforcement on forced labor has given them an &quot;artificial cost advantage&quot; over US firms and workers. </p><p>Citing Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974, the USTR said it will determine if these countries&#x27; policies are &quot;unreasonable or discriminatory&quot; and if they burden American commerce.</p><p>“The investigations will determine whether acts, policies, and practices of each of these economies related to the failure to impose and effectively enforce a ban on the importation of goods produced with forced labor are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict U.S. commerce,” said USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer.</p><p>The USTR&#x27;s move follows the US Supreme Court’s striking down many of the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump as illegal.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/2/20/us-supreme-court-strikes-down-swath-of-trump-global-tariffs-2348" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>US Supreme Court strikes down swath of Trump global tariffs</strong></a></div><div><strong>TARIFFS LOOMING?</strong></div><p>While the USTR statement does not threaten tariffs, the law it cites allows the agency to impose tariffs if it finds that a country engaged in unfair trade practices. </p><p>&quot;To remedy a foreign trade practice, Section 301 authorizes USTR to (1) impose tariffs or other import restrictions, (2) withdraw or suspend trade agreement concessions, and (3) enter into a binding agreement with the foreign government to either cease the conduct in question or compensate the United States,&quot; according to <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF11346" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.</a></p><p>ASEAN countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia were named in the list.</p><p>But even countries and entities with some of the strictest labor rights laws, like the European Union, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Japan, were named by the USTR as being investigated for forced labor.</p><p>The USTR said it has already requested formal consultations with the 60 governments involved.</p><p>Last month, the US Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration was improperly using a law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs.</p>

<p>The USTR said the probe will focus on whether these countries’ lack of enforcement on forced labor has given them an "artificial cost advantage" over US firms and workers.</p>

The USTR said the probe will focus on whether these countries’ lack of enforcement on forced labor has given them an "artificial cost advantage" over US firms and workers.

Philippines named in US list of trade partners being probed over ‘forced labor’

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Philippines named in US list of trade partners being probed over ‘forced labor’

ABS-CBN News

Published March 13, 2026 04:50 PM PHT

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Updated March 13, 2026 05:42 PM PHT

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US Trade Representative

forced labor

tariffs

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