Deadly Factory Collapse Should Spark Trade Action Against Bangladesh, Say House Democrats
Two House Democratic leaders want President Obama to issue trade sanctions against Bangladesh, including possible suspension of Generalized System of Preferences benefits, in the wake of the country’s devastating garment factory collapse.
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Ways and Means Ranking Member Sander Levin, D-Mich., and Education and Workforce Ranking Member George Miller, D-Calif., sent the letter to Obama May 1. U.S. and European retailers purchase two-thirds of Bangladeshi garment production, the letter said. U.S. and European leaders should “convene representatives of the European and American retailers, the Bangladeshi garment industry, garment workers, their unions and the government, the International Labor Organization, and non-governmental organizations to facilitate the development of a concrete plan of action to address the range of issues relating to working conditions and worker rights in the garment sector.”
Levin and Miller also support the “robust use” of GSP eligibility, one tool “that we understand [the Obama administration] is already considering,” the letter said. But GSP alone is insufficient, because the benefits do not extend to most apparel. “To assure safe working conditions and sufficient pay to support a family, there must be a framework to help ensure that the purchasers of garments from Bangladesh do not source based solely on the cheapest price without regard to the conditions under which the garments are made.”