The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) announced on Mar. 17 its support for new investigations by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) into global industrial overcapacity and the use of forced labor in international supply chains.
The investigations are significant because they address concerns about unfair trade practices that can harm American workers, particularly in manufacturing sectors such as aerospace, defense, shipbuilding, and others. The USTR is conducting 60 separate probes under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to determine if major trading partners have failed to prevent goods produced with forced labor from entering their markets.
“For decades, unfair trade practices and government-backed overproduction overseas have put American workers at a disadvantage,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “Workers in aerospace, defense, shipbuilding, and manufacturing should never have to compete with systems built on subsidies, weak labor protections, or forced labor.”
The investigations will look at whether countries’ policies or enforcement failures allow forced labor to persist in global supply chains. Forced labor is defined as work performed involuntarily under threat of penalty. Despite longstanding prohibitions under U.S. law and international standards, an estimated 28 million people worldwide were trapped in forced labor as of 2021.
The probes target 60 major U.S. trading partners that together account for more than 99% of U.S. imports in 2024. Countries under investigation include China, South Korea, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, Vietnam, and members of the European Union. While some nations have adopted measures against goods made with forced labor, USTR officials say none appear to both adopt and enforce comprehensive bans effectively.
Public comments on the investigations are invited by April 15 with hearings set to begin April 28. In addition to forced labor issues, the USTR is also examining industrial overcapacity—especially in steel and aluminum—where government subsidies have distorted markets globally.
IAM leaders say these actions are necessary to protect American jobs and ensure fair competition for domestic manufacturers. The AFL-CIO has also voiced support for the investigations: “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,” said the federation.
Bryant concluded: “American workers can compete with anyone in the world when the rules are fair. Trade enforcement that protects workers’ rights and stops unfair practices is essential to defending good-paying jobs and rebuilding U.S. manufacturing.”
The IAM Union represents approximately 600,000 active and retired members across various industries throughout North America.
