WASHINGTON – The United States government has called on Bangladesh to make more significant progress regarding freedom of association, workers’ rights and safety, and the protection of labour leaders from violence in order to regain a GSP (Generalised System of Preferences) trading arrangement.
This comes despite the US President’s daughter, Ivanka Trump being one of the business leaders to source apparel from Bangladeshi factories while choosing not to sign the Bangladesh Accord – designed to protect the very rights which the US administration say are vital to ensure a return of the preferential trading status.
Speaking exclusively to Ecotextile News regarding the brand’s decision to avoid signing the Accord, along with its refusal to commit to supply chain transparency, Liana Foxvog, director of organizing and communications at the International Labor Rights Forum, stated: “Until Ivanka Trump takes these actions it will appear that the Trump Administration is prioritising profits over people’s lives and livelihoods.”
