US launches probe into ‘unfair trade’ by 16 partners, including Thailand

2026-03-12 - 10:54

WASHINGTON — The administration of Donald Trump has launched new trade investigations into what it considers unfair trade practices, seeking to rebuild tariff pressure after the US Supreme Court struck down much of Trump’s global tariff programme last month. On 11 March in Washington, D.C., the US government announced an investigation into excess industrial capacity among 16 major trading partners, including Thailand. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the probe under Section 301 of US trade law could lead to new tariffs on China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea and Mexico by this summer. Other economies included in the investigation are Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Switzerland and Norway. Canada, the second-largest US trading partner, was not named as a target. Greer said the investigation will focus on economies showing signs of structural excess capacity in manufacturing, such as large trade surpluses or underutilised production capacity. He also said the US will open another Section 301 investigation on 12 March targeting imports made with forced labour, covering more than 60 countries worldwide. The move comes as US officials led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent prepare to meet senior Chinese representatives in Paris this week, ahead of a possible meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing later this month.