India Among 16 Economies Facing US Unfair-Trade Probe Amid Renewed Tariff Push

Last Updated:March 12, 2026, 06:38 IST

The development comes after the US Supreme Court struck down Trump's previous use of tariffs by declaring an economic emergency.

US President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday launched a new trade investigation into excess industrial capacity in 16 major trading partners. The development comes after the US Supreme Court struck down Trump’s previous use of tariffs by declaring an economic emergency.

As per the reports, the Trump administration has highlighted 16 economies, including India.

16 Economies Under Scanner

According to Reuters, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has said that the “Section 301" unfair trade practices investigation could lead to imposition of new tariffs against China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea and Mexico by this summer.

The other trading partners subject to the excess capacity probe include: Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Switzerland and Norway.

Notably, Canada, the second-largest US trading partner, was not mentioned as a target of the probe.

Greer informed that the investigations will focus on economies that the US has evidence appear to exhibit structural excess capacity and production in various manufacturing sectors, such as through larger persistent trade surpluses or underutilised or unused capacity.

Forced Labour Probe

The US Trade Representative added that he would initiate another probe under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to ban US imports of goods produced with forced labor.

As the investigation covers more than 60 countries, Greer said he wanted other countries to enforce bans on goods produced with forced labour.

The US alleges that Chinese authorities have established labour camps for ethnic Uyghur and other Muslim groups in the western region, though Beijing denies allegations of abuse.

Trump Tariffs Struck Down By US Supreme Court

Greer said that he hoped that the Section 301 investigations would come to an end before the new temporary tariffs imposed by Trump in late February expire in July.

After receiving a massive setback from the US Supreme Court over the global tariffs imposed by Donald Trump as illegal under a national emergencies law on February 20, the President imposed a 10 percent tariff for 150 days under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.

The probes will offer the Trump administration an avenue to rebuild a credible tariff threat against trading partners to keep them negotiating and implement trade deals that were cut to reduce his higher tariff rates under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Greer highlighted Trump’s determination to pursue tariffs and said that he “will find a way to deal with unfair trading practices". “He’ll find a way to get our trade deficit down. He’ll find a way to protect US manufacturing. We have a lot of tools to do it," Greer said.

The probes come as Trump officials, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, prepare this week to meet with Chinese counterparts in Paris to set the stage for Trump to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing at the end of March.

(With agency inputs)

News world India Among 16 Economies Facing US Unfair-Trade Probe Amid Renewed Tariff Push

Read More