White House Orders Investigations Into Forced-Labor Practices Across 60 Economies

The White House has directed U.S. agencies to investigate the acts, policies and practices of 60 economies over whether they prohibit and effectively enforce restrictions on goods produced with forced labor.

President Donald Trump issued the presidential memorandum on July 23, 2026. The action directs the Office of the United States Trade Representative to begin investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and instructs agencies to recommend appropriate action after those investigations.

The memorandum could eventually affect trade restrictions, customs enforcement and diplomatic pressure involving companies and importers across the United States. It does not, however, impose new tariffs or import bans by itself.

What the memorandum does

The measure focuses on the failure of the 60 economies to impose or effectively enforce prohibitions on goods made with forced labor. The wording addresses government policies and enforcement practices rather than declaring that every product from every economy is unlawful.

Section 301 gives the U.S. Trade Representative a statutory framework for investigating certain foreign acts, policies and practices that may affect U.S. trade. Under the memorandum, the investigations come before any decision on what additional action may be appropriate.

The White House action involves the federal agencies responsible for trade, commerce, homeland security and customs enforcement, including the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

What changes now

For businesses, the immediate change is the start of an investigative process rather than a new blanket restriction on imports. Companies that source goods through the economies covered by the memorandum may face closer attention as agencies examine enforcement practices and consider their recommendations.

Importers should not treat the memorandum as a determination that all 60 economies have violated U.S. law. Nor does it mean that every product from those economies is subject to a ban. The document sets investigations and agency recommendations in motion; it does not announce a completed finding against every economy or product.

The action follows existing U.S. restrictions on imports made with forced labor and the enforcement authorities already available to federal agencies. Those existing authorities provide the policy and customs context for the new investigations, but the memorandum adds a broader review of the covered economies’ own prohibitions and enforcement.

What happens next

The U.S. Trade Representative is directed to initiate the Section 301 investigations. After the investigations, agencies are directed to recommend appropriate action.

The memorandum does not specify when those investigations must be completed or when recommendations must be issued. It also does not identify a final package of tariffs, import bans or sanctions. Any such measures would therefore be a later development, not an action adopted in the July 23 memorandum.

That distinction matters for consumers and companies. The order creates the possibility of future changes to trade and customs policy, but the immediate public development is the federal review itself. The eventual effect on particular products, importers or supply chains will depend on the findings and recommendations that follow.

The White House published the memorandum on July 23, 2026, through its presidential-actions materials. Until the investigations produce recommendations, the scope and timing of any additional enforcement or trade response remain unsettled.