Shipping containers are stacked at a terminal at the port of Los Angeles in Long Beach, California, U.S., March 10, 2026. REUTERS
(Reuters) – The United States on Wednesday said it was launching unfair trade practice investigations into 16 key trading partners, part of an urgent effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to restore tariffs recently struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court as illegal.
The probes are being conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which empowers the U.S. Trade Representative to impose tariffs or other retaliatory measures against trading partners determined to employ unfair trade practices.
The administration alleges the 16 all employ policies that disadvantage U.S. goods producers, resulting in all but one of them running substantial goods trade surpluses with the U.S.
Here are the 16 subject to the investigation:
Country/Area | Goods trade surplus/deficit 2025 ($ mln) | Goods trade surplus/deficit 2024 ($ mln) | Change ($ mln) |
European Union | 218,750 | 235,874 | -17,124 |
China | 202,071 | 295,515 | -93,444 |
Mexico | 196,913 | 171,491 | 25,422 |
Vietnam | 178,183 | 123,457 | 54,726 |
Taiwan | 146,756 | 73,718 | 73,038 |
Thailand | 71,856 | 45,492 | 26,364 |
Japan | 63,883 | 69,392 | -5,509 |
India | 58,216 | 45,801 | 12,415 |
Korea, South | 56,416 | 65,967 | -9,551 |
Switzerland | 34,304 | 38,283 | -3,979 |
Malaysia | 30,791 | 24,854 | 5,937 |
Indonesia | 23,716 | 17,893 | 5,823 |
Cambodia | 14,928 | 12,327 | 2,601 |
Bangladesh | 7,146 | 6,063 | 1,083 |
Norway | 2,069 | 2,043 | 26 |
Singapore | -3,553 | -1,855 | -1,698 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau trade data
Reporting by Dan Burns in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis
