Trump administration launches probe into 16 major US trading partners

ANKARA

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced Wednesday the start of sweeping investigations into 16 major economies over alleged “structural excess capacity” in their manufacturing sectors.

The probe targets 16 trading partners, including economic powerhouses such as China, the EU, Japan, India, and Mexico.

The investigations aim to determine if foreign production surpluses are unfairly burdening US commerce and displacing domestic manufacturing.

Greer framed the move as a direct effort to fulfill President Trump’s "America First" economic agenda.

"The United States will no longer sacrifice its industrial base to other countries that may be exporting their problems with excess capacity and production to us," Greer stated.

He emphasized that these investigations are a cornerstone of the administration’s commitment to reshore critical supply chains and create high-paying jobs for American workers.

The new investigations follow a significant legal setback in February, when the US Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s broader global tariff campaign.

Despite this judicial hurdle, Greer suggested his office has developed strategic "workarounds" and legal pathways to ensure these new trade actions remain insulated from further judicial interference, in his framing.