President Donald Trump’s trade team has opened broad investigations into 16 key U.S. trading partners, potentially paving the way for a new set of tariffs after the Supreme Court overturned the administration’s earlier duties last month.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Wednesday, March 11, 2026, that his office will probe China, the European Union, Japan, India, South Korea, Mexico and ten other economies for allegedly dumping excess manufacturing capacity into global markets. The inquiry could provide grounds for fresh import taxes on goods ranging from steel and semiconductors to processed foods and solar panels before summer.
The action is the administration’s most forceful effort yet to revive its tariff program following a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling on February 20, 2026, that struck down President Trump’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act duties. Days after that decision, Trump instituted a 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974—later raised to 15%. That levy, however, only lasts 150 days unless Congress votes to extend it, with the deadline around July 24.
Section 301 investigations provide an alternative without fixed time limits or caps on tariff levels. Greer told reporters his office aims to finish the probes before the 150-day window ends, potentially enabling the administration to keep or increase duties on major trading partners indefinitely. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently said he expects U.S. tariffs to return to pre-ruling levels by August.
“Our view is that key trading partners have developed production capacity that is really untethered from the market incentives of domestic and global demand,” Greer said at a press briefing.
On Thursday, officials also launched a separate probe of roughly 60 countries to determine whether foreign governments effectively bar imports of goods produced with forced labor. That investigation includes Canada and the United Kingdom, neither of which was listed in the excess-capacity manufacturing inquiry.
The manufacturing inquiry targets nations Greer alleges manufacture far more than their populations consume, often through subsidies, low wages, state-owned firms, lax environmental enforcement, and currency practices. According to administration officials, those policies displace U.S. factories and hinder American manufacturing growth.
Investigations span 20 manufacturing categories, such as aluminum, autos, batteries, cement, chemicals, electronics, energy products, glass, machine tools, machinery, paper, plastics, processed foods, robotics, satellites, semiconductors, ships, solar modules, steel, and transportation equipment. Several targeted countries recently reached trade deals with Washington, including Indonesia, which in February secured a landmark deal removing tariffs on more than 99% of U.S. exports to that market.
Unlike the previous tariff proclamations, Section 301 proceedings include opportunities for public comment and hearings. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will accept written comments through April 15, and a public hearing on manufacturing excess capacity is set to begin May 5. A separate hearing on forced labor practices is scheduled for April 28.
The comment period opens March 17, giving stakeholders exactly one month to submit input ahead of the deadline. Greer has sought formal consultations with all 16 governments named in the manufacturing probe.
Canada’s omission from the manufacturing list drew notice, though it is included in the forced labor inquiry. The European Union appears on both lists, along with China, Japan, India, South Korea, Vietnam, Mexico, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.
Greer said additional probes could follow. He told reporters the administration plans to start more Section 301 country-specific investigations, possibly covering rice and seafood markets. He added that he does not expect new Section 232 national security investigations in the near term.
The timing carries diplomatic implications. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris on Sunday and Monday for trade discussions, ahead of President Trump’s state visit to Beijing from March 31 to April 2—the first U.S. presidential trip to China since Trump’s 2017 visit.
Section 301 authority allows the trade representative to levy tariffs, impose import limits, or take other trade actions in response to unfair foreign conduct. The 1974 law does not set specific caps on rates or durations, offering the administration more leeway than the balance-of-payments statute underpinning the current global tariff.
The investigations launch as the administration works to reestablish its tariff framework after the Supreme Court’s February decision. Whether this legal strategy proves firmer than the prior approach will likely be decided by the courts—and by whether Congress extends the Section 122 tariffs before they lapse in July.
