Section 301 of the US Trade Act, 1974

Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974 is a powerful US trade law tool that allows the USTR to investigate, and ultimately impose retaliatory tariffs against, countries that engage in "unfair trade practices" that burden or restrict US commerce. There are two types: Section 301 (general, requires USTR to determine injury to US commerce) and "Special 301" (specifically targets intellectual property). The most prominent modern use of Section 301 was the Trump administration's 2018 tariffs on Chinese goods ($350 billion in goods targeted), which triggered the US-China trade war. Section 301(b) specifically covers situations where a foreign country's practices involve "unreasonable or discriminatory" aspects that burden US commerce.