The Trump administration is launching a sweeping trade investigation targeting 60 countries over their policies toward goods made with forced labor. The probe, expected to begin Thursday, represents the administration's latest effort to establish a durable system of global tariffs after the Supreme Court struck down its previous attempt. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the investigation will examine how countries regulate trade in forced labor goods rather than their domestic situations.

This move comes amid multiple trade investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, including a separate probe announced Wednesday into excess production in 16 major trading partners' factory sectors. The United States has banned imports of forced labor goods for nearly a century, with the Biden administration expanding these restrictions, particularly for goods from China's Xinjiang region. The Trump administration has also required trade partners to commit to similar standards in recent agreements.

The European Union expressed concern about being included in the excess capacity investigation, with officials saying they would respond "firmly and proportionately" to any breach of commitments. Meanwhile, the American Apparel & Footwear Association warned that the administration's rushed approach risks harming American businesses and consumers as it attempts to recreate tariff structures deemed illegal by the Supreme Court.