List of African countries the United States is investigating for the use of forced labour

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has opened a broad trade inquiry into 60 nations, accusing them of failing to effectively prohibit imports of items made with forced labour.

• The U.S. Trade Representative has launched an investigation into 60 countries accused of failing to ban imports made with forced labour.
• The probe aims to determine whether these countries have appropriately enacted or enforced laws against forced labour in supply chains.
• Public hearings will be held beginning April 28, 2026, and public comments are invited as part of the process.
• U.S. law has prohibited imports produced with forced labour for nearly a century, motivated by humanitarian, foreign policy, and national security concerns.

The investigation, which falls under U.S. trade enforcement mechanisms, will look at whether specific countries have not enacted or properly enforced bans on products linked to forced labour.

The probe comes as the United States steps up its attempts to eliminate forced labour from global supply chains.

According to the USTR, public input will be part of the process.

Written comments and requests to testify at the hearings must be filed by April 15, 2026, with public hearings beginning April 28 at the headquarters of the United States International Trade Commission in Washington, D.C.

The hearings may continue until May 1, after which participants will have seven days to submit post-hearing rebuttals.

For nearly a century, per the USTR’s notice, US law has prohibited the importation of items mined, produced, or manufactured entirely or substantially with forced labour.

These limits are motivated not merely by humanitarian concerns, but also by larger foreign policy and national security considerations.

American authorities note that putting such goods into the market allows companies to profit from the exploitation of vulnerable workers.

Forced labour

Forced labour is commonly defined as work forced from persons under the threat of penalty and without their voluntary consent. Long-standing international accords have criticized the practice.

The United Nations affirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that no one should be subjected to slavery or servitude.

Similarly, the International Labor Organization's Abolition of Forced Labour Convention of 1957, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, underline the global commitment to abolishing all types of forced or compelled employment.

DON’T MISS THIS: 10 African countries with the highest levels of modern-day slavery

Despite international pledges, forced labour persists. According to the International Labour Organization, around 28 million people worldwide were stuck in forced labor as of 2021, accounting for almost 3.5 out of every 1,000 individuals.

The number has increased in recent years, reaching around 2.7 million between 2016 and 2021, owing primarily to exploitation in the private sector.

Experts believe that the economic motivations behind forced work contribute to its continuance.

Companies that use compelled labour have artificially low labor expenses, allowing them to sell items at a lower price than competitors who follow labor standards.

According to the ILO, forced labour in the global private economy will produce around $63.9 billion in profits per year by 2024.

The average profits per victim were projected to be $2,113 in agriculture and $4,994 in the industrial sector, which was the highest among private enterprises.

With that said, below is a list of African countries the U.S. has listed on suspicion of using forced labour.