"US forced labor investigations are not about protecting workers", 13 March 2026

The United States has launched…trade investigations into more than 60 countries over concerns about forced labor in global supply chains. While framed as an anti-trafficking measure, the timing and scope suggest a more politically driven agenda: the probes could provide a legal pathway to reinstate tariffs struck down by the US Supreme Court.

Countries across Asia, Latin America, and Europe now face scrutiny, not just for domestic labor practices, but for how they police imports—raising concerns that forced labor frameworks are being co-opted to serve trade policy rather than protect workers.

The newly announced investigations fall under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. This law allows the US government to respond to unfair foreign practices with tariffs or other penalties...

Using forced labor as a pretext risks undermining the legitimacy of real anti-trafficking efforts...

… experts say the approach raises complex legal and practical questions...

Many countries already ban forced-labor goods but lack resources for enforcement. Politicized investigations risk penalizing countries for capacity gaps rather than actual exploitation.

By conflating human rights enforcement with trade leverage, the policy undermines both objectives. Forced labor becomes a tool for tariffs rather than a means to protect vulnerable workers...