USTR Opens 3-Day Hearing on 60 Countries for Forced-Labor Export Failures

3 articles · Updated · Fortune · Jul 9

Tuesday’s hearing will determine whether 60 countries investigated in March failed to stop exports made with forced labor, a step the Trump administration can use to justify new tariffs.
Those levies would extend a tariff push that businesses are still passing through: the New York Fed said 47% of service firms and 44% of manufacturers plan further price increases.
Fed economists said many companies delayed hikes until fixed-price contracts expired or are raising prices gradually to avoid sticker shock while preserving room for bigger increases later.
U.S. importers, not foreign exporters, have borne most of the burden so far; Fed data showed American companies and consumers paid nearly 90% of tariffs last year.
Tariff costs are already feeding inflation—Dallas Fed research put March core inflation at 3.2% and estimated it would be about 0.8 percentage point lower without the levies.

Sources

Left67%

Right33%

Fortune20h ago

USTR Begins Three-Day Hearing on 60 Countries' Forced-Labor Product Export Failures

Millennium Post10h ago

India says US approach to forced labour tariffs inconsistent; exempts 1,600 items it needs

The Hindu7h ago

India says U.S. forced labour tariff approach inconsistent; exempts 1,600 items deemed critical to its needs - The Hindu

4 Sources

With the Section 122 tariff ruling under appeal, what awaits U.S. importers and the $1.2 trillion in affected goods this summer?

As tariffs drive U.S. medical device prices to record highs, how will this affect patient access to essential surgeries and treatments?

U.S. Section 301 Tariff Hearings 2026: Legal Shifts, Economic Impact, and Global Trade Repercussions

Overview

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) launched public hearings on a major Section 301 tariff proposal from July 7 to 9, 2026, following a public comment period that ran from June 2 to July 6, 2026. This process was carefully structured to collect broad feedback, with requests to appear and testimony summaries due by June 22 and written comments by July 6. The hearings focused on possible changes to existing tariffs, which already include a 10 percent duty on thousands of Chinese goods. USTR sought input on which products should be included or excluded, ensuring all stakeholders could participate in shaping the final policy.

...