Ministry of Commerce Spokesperson Answers Questions from Journalists Regarding the U.S. Trade Representative's Office Announcement of Initiating Section 301 Investigations Against 60 Economies, Including China, on the Grounds of "Failure to Prohibit Importation of Products Made with Forced Labor"

People’s Financial News, March 16 — The spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce responded to questions from reporters regarding the U.S. Office of the United States Trade Representative’s announcement of initiating a Section 301 investigation against 60 economies, including China, on the grounds of “not banning the import of forced labor products.”

Question: On March 12, Eastern Time, the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office announced the initiation of a Section 301 investigation against 60 economies, including China, citing “not banning the import of forced labor products.” What is China’s comment on this?

Answer: China notes that on March 12, Eastern Time, the U.S. initiated a Section 301 investigation against 60 economies, including China, citing “not banning the import of forced labor products.” This is another Section 301 investigation launched by the U.S. following the March 11 initiation of a “capacity surplus” investigation. Previously, the U.S. fabricated facts and imposed a series of trade restrictions against China under the pretext of “forced labor.” China has repeatedly expressed its firm stance on this issue. China has always opposed forced labor, is one of the founding members of the International Labour Organization, has ratified 28 international labor conventions, and established a comprehensive system of labor laws and regulations. China is committed to preventing and combating forced labor. The U.S. has yet to ratify the 1930 Forced Labour Convention and refuses to be bound by international rules, yet it has long manipulated the issue of “forced labor.” The U.S. initiating a Section 301 investigation against China and related economies aims to build trade barriers, which is highly unilateral, arbitrary, and discriminatory, representing typical protectionism. The WTO expert panel has already ruled that U.S. Section 301 tariffs violate WTO rules. The U.S. once again abuses the Section 301 investigation process, placing domestic law above international rules, which is a serious mistake that damages the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains and disrupts international economic and trade order. Currently, China and the U.S. are holding a new round of economic and trade consultations in Paris, France, and China has lodged a formal protest with the U.S. side. We urge the U.S. to immediately correct its wrongful practices, work with China in the spirit of mutual respect and equality, and seek solutions through dialogue and consultation. We will closely monitor the progress of the U.S. investigation and reserve the right to take all necessary measures to firmly defend our legitimate rights and interests.