United Steelworkers welcomes the administration's efforts against forced labor but is "deeply concerned" about extending the tariffs to Canada
United SteelworkersLabor union, through International President Roxanne Brown, in a press release
In a July 23, 2026 statement on USTR's announcement, United Steelworkers International President Roxanne Brown said the union welcomes the administration's efforts to use trade policy to curtail forced labor and other abusive trade practices. She also said the union is "deeply concerned by the decision to extend these tariffs to Canada" while the Canadian government is strengthening its own ban on forced-labor goods, and urged the administration to keep pursuing action against forced labor while working with Canada.
“At the same time, we remain deeply concerned by the decision to extend these tariffs to Canada while the Canadian government is actively strengthening its ban on goods manufactured with forced labor.”
Official statement
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Are Trump's Section 301 "forced labor" tariffs a lawful remedy, or a pretext to revive struck-down global tariffs?
On July 23, 2026, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, at President Trump's direction, imposed additional tariffs of 10% or 12.5% on imports from 60 economies under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The duties took effect July 24. USTR says each economy failed to impose and effectively enforce a ban on imports of goods made with forced labor, which it found unreasonable and a burden on U.S. commerce. Businesses and 25 states sued in the Court of International Trade. They say the forced-labor rationale is a pretext for re-creating the global tariffs the Supreme Court struck down in February, and that USTR skipped the country-by-country findings the statute requires. The Justice Department says USTR made findings for all 60 economies on a record of data, testimony and public comments. A three-judge panel heard argument on September 30, 2026. As of that date, no court had ruled on the Section 301 tariffs. The disputed question is whether the tariffs are a lawful remedy under Section 301 or a pretext to revive the struck-down global tariffs.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
The United Steelworkers' statement on the day of the final action. The union welcomes the administration's efforts to use trade policy against forced labor and objects to the inclusion of Canada.
Official statement
About this source
A USTR release compiling statements of support for the action from unions, trade associations, companies and one member of Congress. USTR selected and published the statements, so they show who supported the action in USTR's account. They are the statements of the named speakers, not of USTR.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
USTR's June 5 notice listed Canada among six economies that have a forced-labor import prohibition but, in USTR's finding, do not effectively enforce it, and the July 23 action put Canada in the 10% group. The union says it represents 850,000 workers in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and energy.
After the quotation
USTR's July 24 release collecting statements of support quoted the union's welcome but did not include its paragraph about Canada. The union's statement says Canada should be a partner in confronting unfair trade rather than a target of measures meant to address it. As of September 30, 2026, no court had ruled.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to the Section 301 forced-labor tariffs, the union backs the aim and the use of trade policy against forced labor but objects to applying the tariffs to Canada, so its position combines support with a specific objection. We used Mixed or conditional. The closest competing label is Defended or excused, because the union welcomes the action, but the objection to Canada's inclusion is a material part of the statement.
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More from this case
Read the full caseFormer trade officials Hills, Wolff and Maruyama tell the court the administration is turning "targeted authority" into "a sweeping power"
“This case concerns the Executive Branch's attempt to transform that targeted authority into a sweeping power to impose broad, economy-wide tariffs untethered from the statute Congress enacted. The text, structure, and history of Section 301 demonstrate that Congress intended the provision to address specific foreign acts, policies, or practices identified through a meaningful investigation and supported by findings of harm to U.S. commerce.”Read statement
Justice Department brief says USTR's actions are "consistent with the text, object, and purpose of the Section 301 statute"
United States Department of Justice
“The actions that USTR has taken at the direction of the President in this case are consistent with the text, object, and purpose of the Section 301 statute, as well as with the President's firm commitment to create a level playing field for U.S. workers, producers, and exporters by conditioning access to the U.S. market on concrete action to prohibit international trade in forced labor goods. The investigations and responsive actions under Section 301 are the culmination of decades of efforts by the U.S. Government to eradicate forced labor from international supply chains. USTR followed Section 301's "demanding procedural prerequisites" when taking those actions.”Read statement
Learning Resources and six other plaintiffs say the government's determinations are "pretextual and preordained"
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“To be clear, Plaintiffs do not condone reliance on forced labor or forced-labor imports. But that is not the real issue here. Defendants' pretextual and preordained determinations do not satisfy the statutory requirements of Section 301 or the applicable Administrative Procedure Act ("APA") standards. The charade must stop.”Read statement
Cite this record
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- The Dispute Index
- Title
- United Steelworkers welcomes the administration's efforts against forced labor but is "deeply concerned" about extending the tariffs to Canada
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/3964-in-a-july-23-2026-statement-on-ustr
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "United Steelworkers welcomes the administration's efforts against forced labor but is "deeply concerned" about extending the tariffs to Canada". First published: 2026-10-01. Last updated: 2026-10-01. https://disputeindex.com/events/3964-in-a-july-23-2026-statement-on-ustr