U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer recommended sweeping tariffs on 59 countries and the entire European Union late Tuesday night, either because they do not prohibit imports made with forced labour or, in Canada’s case, have “failed to effectively enforce” a ban. (The Logic)

Talking point: The proposed Section 301 tariffs will not apply to goods covered by the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which already requires Canada to prohibit the import of goods produced with forced labour. Canada expanded the ban in 2024 to include child labour and mandatory company reports on their supply chains. Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Wednesday that legislation to strengthen it further is coming this month. In his report on the investigation, Greer said Canada has been described as a “dumping ground” for forced labour goods barred from the U.S. The proposal came hours after LeBlanc met Greer in Washington, D.C., where he said their discussion helped Americans better understand Canada’s “shared commitment” to “the fight against forced labour.”