US Tightens Forced Labour Enforcement Across Global Supply Chains

The United States is stepping up international cooperation on forced labour import enforcement, bringing together more than 50 trading partners as part of a broader effort to strengthen controls on goods produced using forced labour.

On 15 September 2026, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) convened representatives from more than 50 trading partners for training on establishing and enforcing prohibitions against imports made with forced labour. The programme involves USTR, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Labor.

The initiative follows a broader shift in US trade policy towards supply-chain enforcement.

Forced labour is becoming a trade compliance issue

The US has prohibited imports made with forced labour for almost a century, but enforcement and international cooperation have become increasingly prominent in 2026.

In July, USTR took final action under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, imposing additional duties of 10% or 12.5% on imports from 60 economies, subject to specific product exemptions. The action followed investigations into whether those economies had failed to impose and effectively enforce prohibitions on imports produced with forced labour.

CBP subsequently issued guidance detailing the HTSUS classifications and entry procedures for the new duties, which took effect on 24 July 2026.

The measures mean that forced-labour considerations can now have implications for both supply-chain compliance and the cost of importing goods into the US.

The supply chain matters, not just the finished product

For global sellers, this creates another layer of compliance to consider.

A business importing a finished product may need to understand more about how and where that product was manufactured, including the parties involved in its supply chain.

This can make supplier information and supply-chain documentation increasingly important.

Businesses may need to consider:

• Where products and materials are sourced
• Who manufactures the goods
• Whether suppliers have appropriate compliance processes
• Country-of-origin information
• Supply-chain documentation
• Applicable forced-labour restrictions
• Product-specific import requirements
• Relevant tariff classifications

The challenge becomes greater when products contain components or materials sourced from multiple countries.

More countries are introducing their own import prohibitions

The US initiative is also part of a broader international trend.

According to USTR, by July 2026, 12 additional economies had adopted measures prohibiting imports made with forced labour, including Canada, the European Union, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United Kingdom. USTR said additional countries had since expressed interest in adopting similar measures.

For businesses selling internationally, this means supply-chain compliance may increasingly need to account for requirements in multiple markets rather than only the country where a product is manufactured.

Compliance can affect both market access and costs

The July Section 301 action demonstrates how supply-chain issues can translate into customs consequences.

Depending on the country of origin and the applicable product provisions, affected imports may face an additional duty. Some products and categories are specifically excluded from the Section 301 measures, including certain goods already subject to Section 232 tariffs and specified products listed in the relevant tariff provisions.

This means businesses may need to look at multiple factors when assessing a product's import requirements.

Country of origin alone may not tell the whole story.

Product classification, applicable exclusions, supply-chain information and other trade measures can all affect the final compliance position.

Why this matters for global ecommerce

For ecommerce businesses sourcing products internationally, forced-labour compliance may feel like a supply-chain issue rather than a customs issue.

But the latest US measures demonstrate that the two are increasingly connected.

Businesses may need to understand their suppliers and products before goods reach the border, rather than discovering a potential compliance issue during the import process.

For businesses managing hundreds or thousands of SKUs, manually checking these requirements can become difficult to scale.

How Gloco can help

Gloco is designed to help global sellers identify potential compliance risks at the product level.

Businesses can provide a product link and use Gloco's AI-powered platform to identify potential IP, licensing and tariff considerations, helping sellers assess products before expanding into a new market.

Gloco also supports certificates and permits, customs duty calculations and documentation, bringing multiple compliance considerations into one workflow.

The platform provides ongoing monitoring and alerts for compliance risks and deadlines, helping businesses keep track of changing requirements rather than relying on a one-time assessment.

The latest US initiative shows that forced-labour compliance is becoming increasingly connected to international trade and customs enforcement.

For global sellers, understanding the supply chain behind a product is becoming an increasingly important part of understanding whether and how that product can enter a market.