The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced last month the launch of a new round of Section 301 investigations targeting approximately 60 economies, including Taiwan, China, Japan, South Korea, and the European Union. The investigation examines whether policies and practices regarding the 'failure to prohibit and effectively enforce the prohibition of imported forced labor products' constitute unreasonable or discriminatory measures that burden or restrict U.S. trade.
The USTR also noted that despite international consensus against forced labor, insufficient enforcement in some countries has forced U.S. companies and workers to compete with products that have a cost advantage. The U.S. expects to hold a hearing on April 28 and will evaluate whether to take further trade measures based on the investigation results.
Hung Sun-han stated today in the Legislative Yuan's Education and Culture Committee that the Ministry of Labor, the Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN), and the Executive Yuan will submit relevant documents to the U.S. by April 15. Kung Ming-hsin noted in an interview today that the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) will establish a coordination mechanism with the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Finance. Even if the U.S. provides a list, it will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis rather than being adopted wholesale. Decisions on whether to restrict the import of relevant products will be made after a comprehensive evaluation by various ministries.
Regarding specific implementation, Kung explained that if suspected forced labor occurs in other countries in the future, the government will similarly include it in the review. The Ministry of Labor is more familiar with the patterns of forced labor; once these patterns are identified, the MOEA and the Ministry of Finance can further manage and determine actions based on the products' Harmonized System (HS) Codes. (Editor: Yang Kai-hsiang) April 9, 2026.
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- Source: CNA (Central News Agency)
- Category: regulation