On March 11, 2026, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced the initiation of Section 301 Investigations concerning structural excess capacity and production in certain manufacturing sectors across various foreign nations.
According to the USTR, sectors affected by excess capacity and production include:
“An illustrative list of sectors plagued by excess capacity and production includes aluminum, automobiles, batteries, cement, chemicals, electronics, energy goods, glass, machine tools, machinery, non-ferrous metals, paper, plastics, processed food and beverages, robotics, satellites, semiconductors, ships, solar modules, steel, and transportation equipment.”
Countries subject to the investigations include China, the European Union, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Japan, and India.
A public comment period will open on March 17, 2026, allowing interested parties to submit written comments or requests to appear at the hearing. Comments must be submitted by April 15, 2026.
USTR will hold a hearing related to these investigations beginning on May 5, 2026.
A link to the announcement, Federal Register Notice, docket for comments and appearance at hearing is available here: