US to Hold Public Hearings on April 28-29 Related to Probes of Forced Labor

April 24 (Reuters) – The U.S. Trade ⁠Representative’s ⁠office said on Friday ⁠it would hold public hearings next week ​regarding a set of ongoing Section 301 unfair trade ‌practices investigations into dozens ‌of countries suspected of failing to act to ⁠prevent ⁠imports of goods made using forced labor.

The hearings will take ​place on April 28-29 at the U.S. International Trade Commission headquarters in Washington, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s office ​said in a statement.

The hearings feature 12 panels and roughly ⁠60 ⁠witnesses spanning advocacy groups, ⁠human ​rights groups, U.S. industry groups and representatives of foreign governments, ​according to ⁠the schedule.

USTR launched the investigations on March 12 into the economies of 60 countries, saying they failed to ban imports of goods produced with forced labor.

The ⁠list includes some major U.S. trade partners and allies such ⁠as Australia, Canada, the European Union, Britain, Israel, India, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. China and Russia are also on the list.

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.

Greer has said he hoped to conclude the Section 301 investigations, including proposed remedies, before temporary tariffs imposed by Trump in late February expire ​in July.

(Reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones in ​Toronto; Editing by David Gregorio)

Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

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