US Launches Trade Probes on 15+ Economies

The Donald Trump administration has launched a series of sweeping trade investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act, targeting over a dozen major economies including China, the European Union, Mexico, India, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. These probes focus on alleged excess manufacturing capacity in sectors like automobiles, electronics, and semiconductors. This initiative is a direct response to a US Supreme Court decision that struck down previous global duties imposed by Donald Trump. The United States===United States Trade Representative, led by Jamieson Greer, will conduct public hearings and may propose new tariffs to replace the invalidated levies. The move risks escalating trade tensions, particularly with China and Mexico, and signals a broadening of US trade enforcement policies.