Bangladesh says it meets U.S. worker safety conditions

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Bangladesh said it has met the conditions put forward by the United States for better safety and workers’ rights in its factories that were essential to regain preferential trade status the impoverished South Asian nation lost in 2013 after two disasters killed 1,500 garment workers.

The preferential trade status does not cover Bangladesh’s influential garment industry, which helps the country earn $25 billion annually and mainly exports to the United States and Europe. But Dhaka has long lobbied for its garment industry to have duty-free access to the United States, and the lost status was seen as a big blow to that goal.

The government said in its statement late Tuesday that all of the 16 conditions set by the U.S. have been met. It has so far shut down some 364 apparel units for lack of sufficient safety measures. It has amended labor laws, enacting new rules for allowing workers to form unions, increased the number of factory inspectors and settled many criminal cases against trade union leaders who said the charges were meant to silence them. About 500 factory-based trade unions have been registered, and workers’ welfare associations have been formed in special export zones.

A delegation of the U.S. Trade Representative’s office praised the progress but also found shortcomings. The delegation is visiting Bangladesh to review improvements in safety standards at factories and changes to legal documents allowing for wider workers’ rights.

Progress in meeting the 16 U.S. conditions is needed to regain the Generalized System of Preferences benefit under which the U.S. allows imports of some 5,000 goods from 122 of the world’s poorest countries with low- or zero-tariff benefits.