Washington: The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced plans to conduct public hearings this week focusing on trade investigations into South Korea, China, Japan, and 13 other nations. These hearings aim to address issues related to "structural" excess capacity and production within the manufacturing sectors.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the hearings will be held at the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington from Tuesday to Friday. These sessions are part of the USTR's investigations under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, which could lead to the imposition of tariffs or other punitive measures. Section 301 empowers the USTR to examine unfair foreign trade practices on a per-country basis. The current investigations began in March, following the administration's efforts to replace the country-specific "reciprocal" tariffs that the Supreme Court invalidated in February.

During the initial day of hearings, a representative from South Korea is slated to present Seoul's stance regarding the trade probes. The official intends to emphasize South Korea's adherence to market economy principles and highlight ongoing voluntary restructuring efforts in sectors such as petrochemicals and steel, which are affected by global excess capacity.

Last month, the USTR conducted public hearings for separate investigations into 60 economies, including South Korea, China, and Japan. These investigations are designed to assess whether these governments have adequately prohibited the importation of goods produced with forced labor.