Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta.  The United States government has initiated a sweeping trade investigation into Indonesia, Japan, and over a dozen other partners to probe alleged unfair manufacturing practices and industrial overcapacity following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

“Our view is that key trading partners have developed production capacities completely disconnected from domestic market incentives and global demand, prompting this Section 301 investigation to identify unfair subsidies and market barriers,” stated U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Tokyo on Wednesday.

The probe, conducted under the Trade Act of 1974, targets nations including the European Union, China, and several Southeast Asian neighbors. This legal maneuver aims to bypass recent judicial constraints on broad tariffs by establishing a specific basis for new 15% import duties.

Beyond manufacturing, the U.S. is considering expanding the scope to digital services, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture. Furthermore, a secondary investigation involving 60 countries is slated to begin Thursday, specifically focusing on the enforcement of bans against products manufactured through forced labor.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)