China is set to face heightened scrutiny after the US launched a sweeping trade investigation into alleged forced labour across 60 economies, with particular focus on accusations linked to the Xinjiang region, think tank GTRI said. The probe, which also covers countries including India, signals Washington’s renewed push to tighten supply-chain oversight through trade enforcement measures. The probe will examine whether countries allow goods produced with forced labour to enter global supply chains. It will look at two situations — whether forced labour is used directly in production, and whether countries import materials produced with forced labour from other countries and use them to produce goods that are later exported to the US. On March 12, the US trade representative (USTR) launched a Section 301 probe, covering 60 economies.

Source: The Telegraph March 16, 2026 04:39 UTC