Section 301 Tariff Hearings April 28 2026: Which Industries Testified and What It Means for Your Import Costs

# Section 301 Tariff Hearings April 28 2026: Which Industries Testified and What It Means for Your Import Costs

> **Quick answer:** The USTR held Section 301 public hearings on April 28–29, 2026, examining 60 economies' failure to ban forced-labor imports. Roughly 60 witnesses across 12 panels testified — spanning human rights advocates, supply-chain consultants, and foreign government representatives. Industries most exposed to new tariffs include textiles, electronics, solar modules, batteries, semiconductors, and steel. No tariff rates have been announced yet; the USTR will issue proposed remedies before temporary tariffs expire in July 2026.

*This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Consult a qualified financial advisor or trade attorney for decisions affecting your business or investments.*

The hearings that ran Tuesday in Washington weren't front-page news — they were competing with Powell's press conference, Big Tech earnings, and a dozen other market-moving events. But for anyone who imports goods, runs a supply chain, or invests in manufacturing-adjacent sectors, what happened at 500 E Street SW on April 28 matters more than most of those headlines combined.

The U.S. Trade Representative opened two days of Section 301 forced labor hearings, the final public-input step before the agency moves toward recommending new tariffs that could compound import costs already strained by IEEPA duties.

## What Section 301 Is — and Why These Hearings Are Different