Trump Administration Opens Broad New Section 301 Probes to Replace Supreme Court‑Struck Tariffs Before July 24 Deadline
On March 11, 2026 U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer opened broad Section 301 probes into manufacturing and practices such as excess capacity, subsidies and wage suppression in a wide set of jurisdictions — including China, the EU, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, India and several Southeast Asian nations — and launched a separate 301 investigation aimed at banning imports made with forced labor, sequencing the actions to align with the July 24 expiration of existing 10% Section 122 tariffs so the administration can rebuild or reshape duties before that deadline while Commerce pursues parallel Section 232 reviews. The administration also told the U.S. Court of International Trade that processing refund claims for roughly 53 million import entries (about $166 billion in disputed tariff revenue) could take millions of manual work hours, has taken steps to slow refunds and resisted returning the money, prompting the court to demand an updated position.
📌 Key Facts
- On March 11, 2026 U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer formally opened a new Section 301 investigation into foreign manufacturing as the administration’s next step after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s emergency tariffs.
- The 301 probe names specific jurisdictions — China, the European Union, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Japan and India — and is focused on practices such as excess capacity, subsidies and wage suppression.
- The administration is sequencing the new 301 investigations to align with the July 24, 2026 expiration of existing 10% Section 122 tariffs (150 days), aiming to give the president potential options to raise or restructure duties before those tariffs lapse.
- Axios reports the White House has an explicit strategy and internal timing expectations for using these 301 probes to rebuild the tariff regime after the Supreme Court ruling, with on‑the‑record comments from USTR Greer and unnamed officials saying the measures are intended to provide policy and political options ahead of the midterms.
- Separately, the administration opened a 301 probe aimed at banning imports made with forced labor and signaled additional 301 investigations could follow on issues such as digital services taxes, pharmaceutical pricing and ocean pollution.
- The Commerce Department is concurrently running separate Section 232 investigations under the 1962 Trade Expansion Act, showing multiple legal tracks being pursued for future trade measures.
- The administration told the U.S. Court of International Trade that processing refund requests tied to the struck‑down tariffs could take up to 4,431,161 hours of manual work; government estimates put more than 53 million affected import entries and roughly $166 billion in tariff revenue in legal limbo, and the administration — with Trump publicly opposing returning the money — has taken steps to slow refunds while the court ordered an updated administration position.
📊 Relevant Data
Black-owned businesses are disproportionately impacted by tariffs on imports from China and Vietnam, particularly in the beauty industry where a majority of products are sourced from these countries.
Trump's tariffs are leaving Black beauty businesses in peril — Reuters
In 2025, the racial and ethnic composition of the US manufacturing workforce, an industry highly exposed to tariff impacts, was 77.9% White, 10.6% Black or African American, 8.1% Asian, and 18.7% Hispanic or Latino, compared to national population shares of approximately 58% White (non-Hispanic), 13.6% Black, 6.3% Asian, and 19.1% Hispanic.
Employed people by detailed industry, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
African Americans are the demographic group most opposed to tariffs, with majorities across racial lines believing tariffs hurt the economy, though White non-college-educated individuals are an exception where views are more positive.
New Marquette Law School national survey finds public skeptical of tariffs, inflation trends positive on nation’s direction — Marquette University
The US trade deficit remained largely unchanged in 2025 despite tariffs, driven by rising AI-driven imports and stockpiling ahead of tariff implementations, leading to a record monthly deficit in March 2025.
Total U.S. Trade Deficit Barely Budged in 2025 — Investopedia
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms that on March 11, 2026, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer formally opened a new Section 301 investigation into manufacturing in foreign countries as the administration’s next step after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s emergency tariffs.
- Lists specific jurisdictions targeted in the 301 investigation: China, the European Union, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Japan and India, based on factors like persistent trade surpluses, subsidies and wage suppression.
- States that the administration is also launching a separate Section 301 investigation aimed at banning imports of goods made with forced labor, and that additional 301 probes could follow on issues such as digital services taxes, pharmaceutical pricing and ocean pollution.
- Clarifies that existing 10% Section 122 tariffs on foreign‑made goods expire after 150 days on July 24, and that the new Section 301 investigation is being "keyed off" that deadline to give Trump "potential options" before those tariffs lapse.
- Includes Greer’s on‑the‑record quote that "the policy remains the same — the tools may change depending on, you know, the vagaries of courts and other things," explicitly tying the strategy shift to the Supreme Court ruling.
- Notes that the Commerce Department is simultaneously running separate Section 232 investigations under the 1962 Trade Expansion Act, indicating multiple legal tracks for future trade measures.
- Administration told the U.S. Court of International Trade it may take up to 4,431,161 hours of manual work to process all refund requests tied to the struck‑down tariffs.
- Government estimates more than 53 million import entries — involving cars, toys, clothes and other goods — were subjected to the illegal duties during the most punitive phase of Trump’s trade war.
- Roughly $166 billion in tariff revenue is in legal limbo after the Supreme Court invalidated Trump’s emergency duties.
- Trump has publicly opposed returning any of the tariff money and his administration has taken litigation steps to slow refunds, with the Court of International Trade ordering an updated administration position by midday Thursday.
- Axios provides additional color on the administration’s strategy for using the new Section 301 probes to rebuild the tariff regime after the Supreme Court ruling, including internal timing expectations and how the White House is framing the move politically.
- The article elaborates on which specific sectors and practices are in the crosshairs (such as excess capacity, subsidies and wage suppression) and how officials are sequencing investigations to line up with the July 24 expiration of existing Section 122 tariffs.
- Axios adds more detailed quotes or paraphrased comments from USTR Jamieson Greer and unnamed administration officials about the scope of partners under review and the intent to give Trump options for raising or restructuring duties before the midterms.