US Trade Representative Mike Froman has said that his country has no plan to restrict clothing import from Bangladesh to put extra pressure on the South Asian nation to improve its safety conditions for workers,
The top US trade official told reporters on Thursday he hoped that suspending US trade benefits on a number of non-textile goods would be enough to encourage the Bangladesh government to make necessary reforms, report agencies.
The US has suspended trade privileges for Bangladesh until it improves workers’ safety conditions in the clothing industry.
US Trade Representative Michael Froman pointed to several recent fatal accidents in its huge clothing sector. These “had served to highlight some of the serious shortcomings in worker rights and workplace safety standards in Bangladesh,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh hoped that the US administration will soon revive its GSP status and the buyers will continue their business with their long-trusted partners.
Affirming that it will remain engaged with all its trading partners to share ideas and collectively address factory safety issues, Bangladesh also hoped that the US-Bangladesh trade to grow further despite the suspension of GSP, a benefit a least developed country is supposed to receive in the developed countries as per the provisions of the World Trade Organization.
