Washington: US President Donald Trump administration has launched new Section 301 investigations into excess industrial capacity in 16 trading partners, including India, aiming to revive tariff pressures following the Supreme Court’s February invalidation of the president’s emergency powers for trade levies.
India faces scrutiny alongside China, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Switzerland and Norway. Canada is not among the list of countries.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 could impose new tariffs on these nations, including India, by summer to offset billions in lost revenues.
Trump’s team is pivoting to alternative laws after the ruling derailed earlier efforts. Greer, on a Wednesday call with reporters, insisted Canada accept higher tariffs in deals like a Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) renewal. “The policy remains the same — the tools may change depending on, you know, the vagaries of courts and other things,” he said, emphasising protection of American jobs, news agency Associate Press reported.
Greer urged partners to stick to existing pacts amid the long-foreshadowed probes, without promising immunity. “Trump was determined to pursue tariffs and ‘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,'” he said, quoting the president.
A parallel Section 301 action targets bans on forced labour imports, with Greer flagging potential probes on digital service taxes, drug pricing and ocean pollution.
Commerce Department Section 232 investigations proceed separately. Section 122 tariffs of 10 per cent on foreign goods end July 24; Trump plans a 15 per cent increase.
