Philippines to participate in US forced labor probe

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March 15, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines vowed yesterday to cooperate with the United States Trade Representative (USTR)’s probe into the alleged failure of some countries to enforce measures banning goods produced with forced labor from entering their markets.

The USTR has launched investigations into 60 economies, including the Philippines, to determine whether their practices related to the alleged failure to prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labor are unreasonable or discriminatory and restrict US commerce.

The probe is being conducted under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974, which seeks to “address unfair foreign practices” affecting US commerce. The law allows the US government to respond to “unjustifiable, unreasonable or discriminatory foreign government practices.”

“We take note of the ongoing Section 301 investigations recently launched by the United States against 60 economies,” Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said in a statement sent to reporters by Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro.

“We will closely monitor and actively participate in the investigation to address the concerns of the United States,” the trade chief added.

USTR Jamieson Greer recently claimed that governments have failed to impose and effectively enforce measures banning goods produced with forced labor from entering their markets despite international consensus against the practice.

“For too long, American workers and firms have been forced to compete against foreign producers who may have an artificial cost advantage gained from the scourge of forced labor,” Greer said in a statement dated March 12. “These investigations will determine whether foreign governments have taken sufficient steps to prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labor and how the failure to eradicate these abhorrent practices impacts US workers and businesses.”

The US trade representative has been tasked to consult with the economies whose acts, policies or practices are under investigation.

Hearings related to the investigations will be held on April 28.

Apart from the Philippines, those covered by the probe are Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, European Union (EU), Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela and Vietnam.

It said the probe would determine whether the economies’ policies and practices related to the failure to impose and effectively enforce a ban on the importation of goods produced with forced labor are unreasonable or restrict US commerce. — Louella Desiderio