The Office of the United States Trade Representative says it will pursue dispute settlement consultations with the Government of China through the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding China’s export subsidy scheme. In a press release announcing the move, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman called the scheme “unfair” and harmful to American workers and reiterated a

Opposition leaders in Bangladesh have committed to continue the demonstrations that have been ongoing since the beginning of the year. This comes even after their leader, Khaleda Zia, was allowed to leave her office after being sequestered there by police for more than 2 weeks. Zia noted that her supporters would continue to protest until

Both brands and workers’ representatives are pushing the government of Cambodia to step up its efforts in the investigation of a major demonstration last year in which at least 5 people were killed by police. On January 17 of last year, representatives from over 20 major apparel brands sent a letter to Prime Minister Hun

Workers at a spinning and weaving factory in Mahalla have returned to work following a four-day strike demanding restructuring of their company and a reversal of a government decision to end cotton subsidies. Workers claimed that cancellation of the subsidies would result in diminished profits for the company, which in turn, would hurt their earning

A local activist group is speaking out against a plan by the Indian government to set up a textile park in Tamil Nadu. The group says that construction of the facility would exacerbate the already serious pollution problems facing the state caused by emissions from existing facilities in the area, which have reportedly affected local

Over 7,000 Kenyan garment workers have returned to their jobs following a 8-day strike triggered by the dismissal of 120 workers. The strike broke out earlier this month after union representatives say that the workers found out they had been replaced while on Christmas break because of their membership in the union, which the factory

The government of Myanmar is conducting a survey to set the country’s minimum wage. Collaborating with the Confederation of Trade Unions in Myanmar, the survey will collect information about a number of factors, including the average daily expenses of local families, how big those families are, and what occupations working people hold. The government is

The Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) is advising all Pakistani cotton exporters to comply with European export packaging regulations in order to avoid a ban. Specifically, the KCA recently sent a memo to exporters reminding them to fumigate all wooden containers to comply with regulations protecting against biological hazards. This comes amid E.U. advisories for the

Port operators in Southern California are coming under fire after preventing workers from unloading ships. Representatives from the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) say the order was given to allow shore workers to clear out containers from already congested terminal yards, a condition that the PMA blames on the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) for

Vietnam could soon get more of its raw textile materials from India thanks to new financial incentives extended by the country. During a recent trade event, Vietnam’s envoy to India announced that India had extended a US$300 million line of credit to the country as a way to increase trading ties. Vietnam also says its