Labor Dept. Removes Thai Shrimp, Vietnam Apparel From Contractor Forced Labor List
The Department of Labor's Bureau of International Affairs said in a notice it's removing two goods from its List of Products Requiring Federal Contractor Certification as to Forced or Indentured Child Labor: shrimp from Thailand and garments from Vietnam. Federal contractors who supply products on Labor's list must certify that the product wasn't made using child labor.
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Labor said it received recent, credible and corroborated information from various sources that the use of forced labor in shrimp production has been greatly reduced. The department noted that the Thai government and other stakeholders had made concerted efforts to address child labor in the seafood industry, including in the shrimp peeling sector.
Labor also had received credible information that the use of forced labor to produce garments in Vietnam has been significantly reduced. The Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, a non-governmental organization, joined with the Vietnamese police to reduce and prevent the use of child labor, according to Labor, and the police have been able to shut down related criminal enterprises. Vietnam also has made efforts in its legal framework to prevent the forced labor of children, the agency said.
Labor in May announced an initial determination to remove the two products. It accepted public comments on that proposed removal through June 10.