USTR's forced-labor probe mostly China focused, raising questions in broad probe
By Bradley Dress and Zack Budryk ( May 1, 2026, 20:07 GMT | Comment) -- The majority of public comments in the US trade investigation into forced labor from 60 countries center on allegations against China and Southeast Asian countries, raising questions of whether an evidentiary burden can be met in other regions of the world. The Office of the US Trade Representative received more than 400 written comments and held hearings this week on the Section 301 trade investigation alleging unfair trade from forced labor has burdened the American economy. But an extensive MLex review of written comments and hearing testimony reveals little evidence against countries outside of Asia, with the exception of a handful of nations.The majority of public comments in the US trade investigation into forced labor from 60 countries center on allegations against China and Southeast Asian countries, raising questions of whether an evidentiary burden can be met in other regions of the world....
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