New Delhi, March 14 -- The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has launched investigations against 60 countries, including India, to determine whether they failed to effectively prevent the import of goods produced with forced labour.

The probes, initiated under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974, will examine whether the acts, policies or practices of these economies are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden US commerce.

In a statement, the USTR's office said, "The investigations will determine whether acts, policies, and practices of each of these economies related to the failure to impose and effectively enforce a ban on the importation of goods produced with forced labor are unreasonable or discriminator...