In wake of the United States imposing a 12.5% tariff on Guyana and several other countries for their failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour, the Guyana Government intends to continue to work closely with US Trade Representative and other US counterparts to reinforce its position that it is not aware of evidence demonstrating that goods produced through forced labour are being manufactured in, imported into, or exported from Guyana.
According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the latest tariff action was taken at US President President Trump’s direction, under US law.
The Office explained that action comes after investigations by the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR), which included two rounds of public hearings, more than 2,100 public comments, and engagement with US trading partners to remedy these longstanding concerns.
“President Trump recognizes that decades of moral suasion have not eradicated forced labor from global supply chains. The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” said US trade representative, Ambassador Jameson Greer.
Geer said the action will begin to correct what the U.S considers to be both a human rights abuse and distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere.
“I am encouraged by the trading partners who have moved quickly to adopt forced labor import prohibitions, and look forward to ensuring their effective enforcement,” Geer was quoted as saying.
It was further explained that for economies that imposes a forced labor import prohibition, has committed to impose and enforce such a prohibition through an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART), or has imposed a partial regime with the effect of preventing the importation of certain forced labor goods, the Trade Representative has determined 10 percent is the appropriate rate. Trinidad and Tobago are amount countries that has been imposed with a 10% tariff.
However, the US said many countries failed to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor.
The US said it received many queries, testimonies and objections in relation to the tariffs imposed and those complaints were reviewed and analyze.
Guyana Government sources have indicated that Guyana will be pursuing an exemption from the replacement tariffs even while the country remains focused on the finalization of an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade that reflects the strength and maturity of the US-Guyana relationship.
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