US opens broad trade probes to justify potential tariffs

The Trump administration announced new Section 301 investigations into dozens of trading partners for structural excess capacity and separate probes on around 60 countries to curb goods made with forced labor, signaling potential new tariffs after a Supreme Court ruling limited unilateral authority. The investigations target partners including the EU, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, and several Asian, Latin American, and other countries, with the aim of concluding them before the July expiry of temporary 10% tariffs (potentially rising to 15%).