[CTC] AFL-CIO Statement on the Launch of Section 301 Investigations into Overcapacity and Forced Labor

[Arthur Stamoulis]

https://aflcio.org/press/releases/afl-cio-statement-launch-section-301-investigations-overcapacity-and-forced-labor

AFL-CIO Statement on the Launch of Section 301 Investigations into
Overcapacity and Forced Labor

March 13, 2026

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement today in
response to the U.S Trade Representative’s (USTR) announcement of
Section 301 trade investigations regarding overcapacity in
manufacturing sectors and forced labor:

The AFL-CIO strongly supports the launch of USTR’s investigations into
global overcapacity and forced labor. For decades, countries have
flooded global industrial markets in an effort to tilt the trade
balance in their favor and undermine domestic producers at the expense
of union workers and their jobs. The fact that forced labor is allowed
to continue as part of our global supply chain is a violation of human
dignity and labor rights, and undermines American competitiveness and
labor, harming both the manufacturers that refuse to participate in
this exploitation and the workers who lose their jobs to it.
Addressing these injustices is essential to restoring fairness,
equity, and a respect for workers’ and human rights in the global
supply chain. We look forward to contributing to an open and
transparent investigation that will respond based on facts, not
political agendas.

Contact: Mia Jacobs, 202-637-5018