Washington has cast a wide net in its latest trade crackdown, placing the Philippines among 60 countries under scrutiny for alleged lapses in banning imports linked to forced labor, an issue the United States Trade Representative (USTR) said could unfairly burden American commerce.

In a report released on 12 March, the USTR said it is investigating whether the acts, policies, and practices of the listed countries fail to impose or effectively enforce prohibitions on goods produced through forced labor.

The probe is being conducted under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974, a provision that allows Washington to examine trade practices it deems unreasonable or discriminatory.

Nations under USTR probe include Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, the European Union, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, India and Indonesia.

Also included are Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela and Vietnam.

Under Section 302(b) of the Trade Act, the USTR may initiate an investigation under Section 301 to examine whether the acts, policies, or practices of a foreign country are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict US commerce.

“After considering the advice of the inter-agency Section 301 Committee and consulting with appropriate advisory committees, the USTR has initiated these investigations. Upon initiation of an investigation, the USTR must seek consultations with the economies whose acts, policies, or practices are under investigation. USTR has requested consultations with the governments of these economies in connection with these investigations,” the USTR report said.