It was on 31st May this year, the US Administration, Department of Labour issued yet another Executive Order that bars the tainted countries to engage in trade with the US Federal Government in the notified sectors. India is included in this list under three categories, including apparel. With the US having issued a formal statement on child labour, brands would be made accountable for their trade with India. They would be given a cautious notice by the US specifying they must do due-diligence before engaging in trade with India. India has been blacklisted for the third consecutive year by the US Government for engaging child labour in its apparel export industry, raising doubts over future sourcing deals with global brands. The country has continuously been named in the Executive Order List for the last three years, despite several attempts by the exporters to convince the US authorities otherwise.


What is US Executive Order 13126?


US Executive Order 13126 on the "Prohibition of Acquisition of Products Produced by Forced or Indentured Child Labor," was signed on June12, 1999. The EO is intended to ensure that federal agencies enforce laws relating to forced or indentured child labor in the procurement process. It requires the Department of Labor, in consultation with the Departments of State and Homeland Security, to publish and maintain a list of products, by country of origin, which the three Departments have a reasonable basis to believe,might have been mined, produced or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor. Under the procurement regulations implementing the Executive Order,federal contractors who supply products on a list published by the Department of Labor must certify that they have made a good faith effort to determine whether forced or indentured child labor was used to produce the items listed.


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Here I refers to author; he shares his views on US Executive Order 13126 and its effects on Indian Garment Industry.