The United States Trade Representative (USTR) yesterday announced investigations into 60 economies, including Bangladesh, in relation to what it called failures to take action on forced labor.
The investigations will determine whether the acts, policies and practices of these economies led to their failure to impose and effectively enforce a ban on the import of goods produced with forced labour and whether it impacted US commerce, said a USTR statement dated March 12.
“Despite the international consensus against forced labor, governments have failed to impose and effectively enforce measures banning goods produced with forced labour from entering their markets. For too long, American workers and firms have been forced to compete against foreign producers who may have an artificial cost advantage gained from the scourge of forced labour,” USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer said.
The investigations will determine whether foreign governments have taken sufficient steps to prohibit the import of goods produced with forced labour and how the failure to eradicate the “abhorrent practices” impacts US workers and businesses, he said.
The initiative under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 came just a day after the Trump administration said it was launching unfair trade investigations into excess industrial capacity in 16 countries in the first set of probes.
Section 301 of the act is designed to address unfair foreign practices affecting US commerce and may be used to respond to unjustifiable, unreasonable or discriminatory foreign government practices that burden or restrict US commerce. Under Section 302(b), the USTR may self-initiate an investigation.
Before launching the probes, the Trump administration considered the advice of the inter-agency Section 301 Committee and consulted with appropriate advisory committees.
The USTR has already requested consultations with the governments of the relevant economies. It will hold hearings on April 28.
To be assured of consideration, the interested persons should submit written comments, requests to appear at the hearing along with a summary of the testimony by April 15.
