The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is spotlighting foreign labor abuses and unfair trade practices ahead of Labor Day, warning that they undercut American workers and industries.
In a 10-part series on X, USTR cited China’s state subsidies and forced labor in the textile and electronics sectors, which contributed to the closure of 18 U.S. plants during the Biden years.
The office also flagged child labor in Nigeria’s cocoa fields, forced labor in India’s shrimp industry, and risks tied to Vietnam’s garment imports, some of which rely on Chinese inputs from Xinjiang.
In the lead up to #LaborDay, USTR is spotlighting unfair trade practices that are artificially suppressing labor costs and undermining American workers and industries.
— United States Trade Representative (@USTradeRep) August 29, 2025
1/10: China’s non-market policies and practices in the textile and apparel sector, including substantial… pic.twitter.com/WQ6HOpqnno
The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Malaysia, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic were also named for widespread labor violations ranging from child miners to anti-union crackdowns.
USTR noted that billions of dollars of imports from these countries come from sectors with high risks of forced or child labor, undercutting U.S. jobs and values.
