India to appear in public hearings by US investigators on forced labour on July 8

 

Commerce ministry officials, industry chamber representatives to attend hearings, India says 12.5% tariffs should be reconsidered.

Surabhi

• Updated Jul 8, 2026 11:14 AM IST

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Indian representatives to attend the public hearings by US International Trade Commission

India’s representatives including senior commerce ministry officials and spokespersons from several industry chambers will attend the public hearings on July 8 by the US government on Section 301 investigations. The investigations by the office of the US Trade Representative starting in March are now seen as one of the key stumbling blocks in the bilateral trade deal between the two countries.
 
India has submitted that the proposed 12.5% tariff should be reconsidered.
 
Joint secretary in the department of commerce Brij Mohan as well as representatives from FICCI, CII and APEDA are scheduled to attend the public hearings by US International Trade Commission in Washington DC on Wednesday for the Section 301 investigations launched against on production and import of goods using forced labour against nearly 60 countries.

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US International Trade Commission is holding public hearings from July 7 to 9 on the investigations and the proposed tariffs.
 
In its response to the investigation, India’s department of commerce has said that in view of the claims advanced, the identified gaps and lack of a sufficient basis, India requests the US to reconsider the proposed imposition of tariffs against India. India remains willing to engage constructively with the USTR through consultation and dialogue on any specific concern.
 
“India maintains that forced labour in global supply chains is best addressed through a combination of domestic criminal and labour‑law enforcement and adequate due diligence frameworks which also provide for risk mitigation and remedial mechanisms,” India has further contended.
 
Industry bodies including the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), CII, FICCI, All India Spice Exporters Forum and Seafood Exporters Association of India have also submitted their responses to the investigation.

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“The absence of a forced labour importation ban in India does not constitute a policy measure that implicitly or explicitly encourages or facilitates the importation and use of forced labour goods,” FICCI has submitted, adding that the proposed additional tariffs be reconsidered in light of India's legal and regulatory safeguards, the extensive compliance mechanisms adopted by Indian industry, and the potential implications for legitimate trade and resilient U.S.-India supply chains.
 
CII has submitted that the proposed 12.5% additional duty is not warranted, is based on factually
inaccurate assessments, and would penalise compliant industry without advancing the stated policy goal.
 
ACMA has also sought relief and said that imports from India should not be subject to any additional tariffs under this investigation; an exemption should be granted for auto-components given its critical role in the US supply chain.
 
SEAI has also similarly sought relief noting that India is the largest single supplier of frozen shrimp to the US and an additional 12.5% duty on Indian frozen shrimp would reduce supply and increase costs for US importers and consumers.

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The USTR had launched two separate Section 301 investigations on March 11 and 12, 2026 against 60 countries including India on charges related to forced labour and excess industrial capacity. On June 3, it had released a report on the forced labour investigation and proposed additional tariffs on imports from 54 economies.
 
Meanwhile, India and the US have continued discussions on finalising the first tranche of the proposed bilateral trade deal but seem to have made not reached full consensus despite both countries stating that it has been nearly completed. Most recently, USTR Jamieson Greer also visited India and held meetings with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on June 23 and 24.
 
Along with the proposed tariffs as part of the ongoing investigations, India also remains concerned about the competitive advantage in terms of tariffs that it will receive from the US after the US Supreme Court struck down the reciprocal tariffs.