WASHINGTON - Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) today made the following statement in response to the announcement by the United States Trade Representative that the dispute settlement process in the 2011 Guatemala labor enforcement case brought under the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) will be suspended for four weeks:
I remain deeply concerned about Guatemala’s failure to take the necessary steps to fulfill even the limited commitments it agreed to under CAFTA and the Enforcement Plan. This failure to effectively provide its citizens with basic worker rights weakens its economy and the chance for a decent livelihood for large numbers of its citizens, during a period when large numbers of unaccompanied minors and others are fleeing to escape poverty and violence in their home countries. If Guatemala continues to shirk the long overdue implementation of its commitments, I look forward to working with the Administration to pursue arbitration in this case."
