The Hinrich Foundation (12 March 2026) reported that the US had launched Section 301 action on 16 countries. The Trade Compliance Resource Hub tracker dates the threat to 11 March 2026 and describes investigations into excess capacity in 16 economies including China, the European Union, India and Vietnam.

Section 301 investigations can end in additional tariffs on the countries concerned, which is why importers and exporters have watched them closely alongside the separate forced-labor tariffs that took effect on 24 July 2026.

Source: Hinrich Foundation - The US drops Section 301 trade bombshell on 16 countries