Indonesia has raised import tariffs on over 1,000 items, including apparel, in an effort to shield local industries from the effects of a flood of imported goods. Economic analysts are wary of the move however, saying that it could fuel inflation and that the country needs to address domestic issues like rising energy and labor

The Ministry of Labor in Myanmar has given its approval to the Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar (CTUM) marking the first time that a nationwide labor organization has received official government recognition. The designation will allow the CTUM to campaign more widely for labor rights and give them greater access to government officials. CTUM is

The European Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market has released a new report saying that counterfeit apparel and accessories costs the European apparel industry over US$28 billion in lost profits each year. The report also claims that counterfeit products account for nearly 10% of all fashion sales throughout Europe and has even affected tax

Thailand has agreed to increase cooperation with nearby Vietnam in several industrial sectors, including textiles. During a recent joint meeting in Bangkok, the leaders of both countries agreed to grow their investments between their countries and ultimately push to increase bilateral trade to US$20 billion by 2020. Thailand is already one of the top sources

British Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a new policy that will require large companies in the U.K. to annually disclose what steps they are taking to identify and eliminate child labor and trafficking from their international supply chains. Speaking ahead of his visit to Vietnam, the first ever by a sitting British Prime Minister,

Representatives from the 12 countries participating in negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are meeting in Hawaii this week for what is hoped to be the final round of talks. While some are confident that the deal will be finalized this week, many others worry that some of the most divisive issues have been left

As negotiations for the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) carry on in Hawaii, some analysts are beginning to wonder if Vietnam’s relatively small supply of domestically-produced raw materials may put it at a disadvantage against foreign companies rushing to get facilities up and running in the country ahead of the TPP’s anticipated passage. It’s estimated that

The Protham-Alo newspaper has issued a public apology after incorrectly reporting about an incident involving a pregnant employee at a Bangladeshi footwear factory known for its consistent compliance with labor standards. Late last week, the paper reported that a female worker at the Apex Footwear factory in Gazipur had a miscarriage in a factory bathroom

Dozens of garment workers were injured on May 8 after a van transporting them to work overturned. Authorities say that the van was transporting 35 workers to factories in a local Special Economic Zone, even though it was only designed to hold 15 passengers. Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for the driver of that

Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court has issued a ruling that many see as a major erosion of workers’ rights to strike. The ruling centers around 17 government employees whom the court said disrupted the function of their agency when they went on strike, a violation of Islamic Sharia law. Three of the workers will be forced