The following are trade-related highlights of the Executive Communications sent to Congress on October 6- 13, 2011:
The Labor Department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs announced the publication of an updated list of goods, along with countries of origin, that it has reason to believe are produced by child labor or forced labor in violation of international standards. Changes include adding incense (agarbatti1) from India, the country of Mauritania, and listing cotton for Mali.
The Labor Department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs has issued an initial determination that proposes to add three new items to the "List of Products Requiring Federal Contractor Certification as to Forced or Indentured Child Labor” which it preliminarily believes might have been mined, produced or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor.
The Labor Department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) is seeking public comments and relevant information to assist it in updating three reports on child and/or forced labor in foreign countries. One report is on the worst forms of child labor; another lists goods believed to be produced by forced and/or child labor; and the third lists products needing Federal contractor certification.
The Foreign Agricultural Service is requesting public comment by July 11, 2011, on its guidelines for reducing the likelihood that agricultural products or commodities imported into the U.S. are produced by child or forced labor. The voluntary guidelines include third party monitoring and verification recommendations.
The Labor Department’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) has updated the list of goods (and countries of origin) it has reason to believe are produced by child labor and/or forced labor, in violation of international standards. This is ILAB’s first update to the list, which was first published in September 2009.
The Labor Department’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) has issued an initial determination with proposed revisions to its list of products requiring federal contractor certification as they might have been mined, produced, or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor.1
Deputy Undersecretary of Labor Polaski issued a statement on November 9, 2010 to clarify that contrary to a recent statement by India's Ministry of Textiles, the Labor Department has not yet made a final determination about whether carpets from India are produced with child labor, forced child labor, or forced labor.
1. President Identifies Major Drug Transit/Production Countries
The Labor Department has issued a final updated the list of products, by country of origin, which the Departments of Labor, State, and Homeland Security have a reasonable basis to believe “might have” been mined, produced or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor.