UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — U.S. begins probing ‘discriminatory trade policies’ against India

Q1. Which one of the following U.S. federal agencies is empowered to initiate and conduct the Section 301(b) investigation launched in March 2026 against India and 15 other economies?

  • A. Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)
  • B. U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC)
  • C. Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Commerce
  • D. Office of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Department of the Treasury

Q2. Who is the United States Trade Representative who formally announced the initiation of the Section 301(b) investigations against India and 15 other economies in March 2026?

  • A. Jamieson Greer
  • B. Katherine Tai
  • C. Robert Lighthizer
  • D. Michael Froman

Q3. With reference to the Section 301(b) investigations initiated by the USTR on 11 March 2026 on grounds of 'structural excess capacity', consider the following economies: 1. Norway 2. Australia 3. Switzerland 4. Brazil Which of the above are correctly identified as being among the 16 economies named in the investigation?

  1. Norway
  2. Australia
  3. Switzerland
  4. Brazil
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. Under which one of the following statutory provisions did the United States Trade Representative initiate the March 2026 investigation into India's allegedly 'unreasonable or discriminatory' trade practices?

  • A. Section 301(b) of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974
  • B. Section 232 of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act of 1962
  • C. Section 337 of the U.S. Tariff Act of 1930
  • D. International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 1977