Signage is seen outside of the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 31, 2020. REUTERS
(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.
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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
