On June 2, 2026, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued its determination under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 that certain acts, policies, and practices of 60 economies related to the failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor are unreasonable
USTR in Brazil Section 301 Investigation Determination Proposes 25% Tariffs
On June 1, 2026, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued its determination that certain of Brazil’s acts, policies, and practices related to (i) digital trade and electronic payment services; (ii) unfair, preferential tariffs; (iii) anti-corruption enforcement; (iv) intellectual property protection; (v) ethanol market access; and (vi) illegal deforestation are unreasonable and burden…
USTR Launches Section 301 Investigation into Vietnam’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Intellectual Property
On May 29, 2026, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced that it was launching an investigation of Vietnam under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The investigation will seek to determine “whether Vietnam’s persistent failure to resolve long-standing concerns about intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement is unreasonable or discriminatory and burdens or…
USTR Initiates Second Four-Year Review of Section 301 Tariff Actions on Imports of Certain Chinese Products
On May 6, 2026, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued a notice initiating its second statutory four-year review of Section 301 tariffs on imports of certain Chinese products initially implemented by the Trump administration in its 2018 investigation of China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation. The first step…
President Trump Makes Major Changes to Section 232 Tariffs on Aluminum, Steel, and Copper
On April 2, 2026, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation amending the rates, scope, and administration of the Section 232 tariff regimes for aluminum, steel, and copper and their derivative products. Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 authorizes the president to adjust duties on goods imported in quantities or under circumstances that…
USTR Releases President Trump’s 2026 Trade Policy Agenda and 2025 Annual Report
On March 2, 2026, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) delivered President Donald Trump’s 2026 Trade Policy Agenda and 2025 Annual Report to Congress. This year’s trade agenda seeks to promote U.S. interests abroad and reduce trade deficits by pursuing trade deals with other countries and strengthening domestic manufacturing.
2025 Annual Report
…USTR Initiates Section 301 Investigations into the Acts, Policies & Practices of Certain Economies Relating to Structural Excess Capacity and Production in Manufacturing Sector
By Scott E. Diamond** & David M. Schwartz on
On March 11, 2026, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) initiated investigations into the Acts, Policies, and Practices of Certain Economies Relating to Structural Excess Capacity and Production in Manufacturing Sectors under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. This announcement had been expected since the Supreme Court of the United States…
After U.S. Supreme Court Invalidates IEEPA Tariffs, Trump Administration Turns to Other Options – What Importers Need to Know
In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not grant the president power to impose tariffs. In response, President Donald Trump issued a temporary 10% tariff on all imports pursuant to Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Importers of record…
Plaintiffs in China Section 301 Tariff Litigation File Petition with U.S. Supreme Court Seeking Review of Federal Circuit Decision
On February 20, 2026, lead counsel for the plaintiff group in the test case for the China Section 301 tariff refund litigation (HMTX Industries LLC, et al. v. United States et al.), filed a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of the U.S. Court of Appeals…
In Response to U.S. Supreme Court IEEPA Tariff Ruling, USTR Plans to Initiate Section 301 Investigations
On February 20, 2026, in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that tariffs under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) are illegal (see Thompson Hine Update of February 20, 2026), Ambassador Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative, issued a statement that the decision “affects [only] one element of the Administration’s” trade…