The US has launched a new trade investigation into some of its largest trading partners following a Supreme Court ruling last month that struck down key parts of former President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
On Wednesday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the Section 301 probe could result in new import taxes on goods from countries including China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, and Mexico by this summer.
The investigation may target any country found to engage in unfair trade practices, allowing the US to impose additional tariffs. Greer said he aims to conclude the probe before temporary tariffs imposed by Trump in February expire in July.
“The United States will no longer sacrifice its industrial base to countries exporting their problems with excess production to us,” Greer stated.
Other countries under investigation include Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Switzerland, and Norway. Notably, Canada, the US’s second-largest trading partner, was not included.
The move follows the Supreme Court ruling that last year’s Trump-era tariffs were unlawful. Shortly after the decision, Trump announced a new 10% global tariff, which he later stated would rise to 15%. The actual levy implemented was 10%, but the administration plans to increase it to 15%.
The probe allows the US to rebuild a legal case for imposing tariffs and strengthens its leverage in upcoming trade talks. Senior US officials are set to meet Chinese counterparts in Paris this weekend, paving the way for a potential meeting between Trump and President Xi Jinping in Beijing at the end of March.
