Thiruvananthapuram: US trade action over forced labour has reached the state’s seafood sector, with Centre asking the state govt to set up a committee to monitor labour practices in processing units and ensure compliance with international standards.
The US had initially proposed an additional 12.5% duty on India under its Section 301 investigation into prohibitions on imports linked to forced labour. The final measure, however, placed India in a lower 10% tariff tier after India introduced a ban on imports of goods produced using forced labour.
“The timely constitution and effective functioning of the tripartite committee will reinforce India’s commitment to ethical and sustainable seafood production, strengthen compliance with international labour standards and safeguard the competitiveness of Indian seafood exports in global markets,” the MPEDA letter said. The committee is expected to monitor seafood processing units and other establishments in the value chain and prepare an action plan covering labour welfare, occupational safety and health, and prevention of forced, child, bonded and other exploitative labour.
Some measures we have adopted for the security and welfare of workers — about 90% of whom are women — such as restrictions on going out at night or keeping their Aadhaar cards, are being interpreted as indicators of bonded or forced labour.
Traditionally, India has raised concerns that such measures could amount to non-tariff barriers to trade,” Planning Board vice-chairman K M Chandrasekhar said. Nevertheless, if compliance with these requirements is necessary for our exports, we are open to it,” said K N Raghavan, CEO of the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI). “Countries and trading blocs such as the US and EU are increasingly introducing trade restrictions linked to issues such as the environment and labour standards. The seafood industry, however, maintains that forced labour is not a concern in Keralam. “However, the norms used to classify certain practices as forced or bonded labour in international markets are different. A significant share of the workforce in Keralam also comes from outside the state. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kochi | Silver Rate in Kochi | Bank Holidays in Kochi | Public Holidays in Kochi