Ottawa does not seem to have any plans to follow the US lead to suspend Bangladesh’s special trading privileges, calling the move largely ‘symbolic’ as it did not apply
to the garment industry, reports Toronto Star.
A finance ministry official told the newspaper that Canada was ‘concerned about working conditions in the global ready-made garment sector’ and supports efforts to improve standards.
Canada’s Least-Developed Country Tariff programme provides duty-free access to most imports from 49 countries, including Bangladesh. The programme was created to promote economic development in poor countries, the official said.
With no tariffs on Bangladesh’s garment imports to Canada, cheaply made clothing flows easily into the country. In 2003, only $330 million worth of garments were imported from Bangladesh, but by 2012, that grew to $1.2 billion, according to the Canadian International Council’s publication OpenCanada.org.
The European Union also allows garments to be imported duty-free.
Unions and human rights advocates lauded the US move as a ‘crucial step forward,’ saying the Bangladeshi government routinely ignores international calls to improve standards.
Since the April 24 disaster, Canadian labour activists have tried to convince Ottawa to use its tariff programme to force Bangladesh to improve safety and establish workers’ rights.
The pressure is now on Canada, said Hassan Yussuff, secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Labour Congress.
‘I applaud the US decision. I hope Canada and the EU follow,’ Yussuff said from Ottawa.
The intent of the US downgrade is not to harm or punish workers but to get Bangladesh to make a serious commitment to improving factory conditions.
The Rana Plaza disaster is one of a long string of tragedies to strike Bangladeshi factories due to lax standards, and the government consistently promises change but nothing happens, he added.
‘I’m hoping at the end of the day Bangladesh gets the message, promising is no longer acceptable,’ Yussuff said. ‘You have to demonstrate in a meaningful way, otherwise you’ll pay a heavy price.’
-With New Age input