The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has proposed imposing additional tariffs of up to 12.5 percent on 60 countries—including Bangladesh—on charges of importing goods produced through forced labor. This list comprises 60 economies, including Bangladesh, India, and China. The USTR alleges that these countries have failed to effectively implement bans on the importation of goods produced using forced labor. A statement regarding this matter has been published on the agency’s website.
In the statement released on Tuesday, the USTR announced that, following an investigation conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, it has concluded that the actions, policies, and practices of these 60 economies are “unreasonable.” These actions, policies, and practices are deemed to be burdening or restricting U.S. commerce. USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer stated, “The failure of some of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labor is unacceptable.” Greer asserted that, as a result of this situation, American workers are being forced to compete on an uneven playing field in the global market. He added, “We will no longer tolerate this disparity.” Some trading partners have taken initial steps through commitments made under the USMCA (United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement) and various Agreements on Reciprocal Trade. However, every partner country must do more to ensure that global trade does not encourage or perpetuate forced labor.
The USTR has proposed imposing additional tariffs on all goods originating from the economies currently under investigation. According to the agency, those economies that have either enacted legislation—or pledged to enact legislation—to ban the importation of goods produced via forced labor through “Agreements on Reciprocal Trade” may face an additional tariff of 10 percent. Conversely, for the remaining economies on the list, a proposal has been put forward to set the additional tariff rate at 12.5 percent. In March 2026, the USTR initiated an investigation against these 60 economies. The allegation was that they had failed to prohibit the importation of goods produced through forced labor and to effectively enforce such bans. The agency stated that, during the course of the investigation, testimony from approximately 60 witnesses, along with over 500 comments and counter-comments, were received.
According to the USTR, the economies that failed to prohibit the importation of goods produced through forced labor—and to enforce such prohibitions—include Bangladesh, India, China, Israel, Australia, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Venezuela, Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan, among many others. Conversely, the USTR noted that countries possessing laws prohibiting the importation of forced-labor goods—yet failing to effectively enforce them—include Canada, Ecuador, the European Union, Indonesia, Mexico, and Pakistan.
This U.S. proposal will now undergo a process of public comment and hearings. Should the final decision be implemented, the export sectors of numerous countries—including Bangladesh—could face new commercial pressures.
