WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sander M. Levin (D-MI) and Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman John S. Tanner (D-TN) issued the following statement concerning today’s announcement by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) that the United States is initiating consultations with Guatemala under the CAFTA-DR Labor Chapter to address concerns about Guatemala’s failure to enforce its labor laws:
“This is the first-ever labor case brought under any free trade agreement, and the significance of that should not be understated," said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sander M. Levin (D-MI). “The labor provisions in CAFTA, negotiated by the previous Administration, did not incorporate the strong international labor standards fought for by House Democrats. But we welcome the Obama Administration’s decision to address failures by Guatemala, or any other CAFTA country, to meet the standards incorporated in the CAFTA. This decision reflects the Administration’s commitment to worker rights, trade enforcement and spreading the benefits of trade broadly."
Trade Subcommittee Chairman John S. Tanner (D-TN) continued: “I welcome this announcement by USTR to initiate labor consultations under CAFTA-DR. Our trade agreements can provide American farmers and manufacturers with new opportunities in new markets, but it is critical that they are effectively enforced. The announcement today is a powerful signal that the Administration will hold our trading partners to their commitments on every aspect of our trading agreements."
