US Asks Mexico to Review Labor Rights at Auto Textile Plant Under USMCA Mechanism
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced on October 13 that it has asked Mexico to review alleged violations of workers' rights at Carolina Performance Fabrics, an automotive textile manufacturing facility in the state of Guanajuato, invoking the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement(USMCA). The facility manufactures specialised, high-performance textiles used in the automotive industry.
The action follows allegations that the company interfered with workers' attempts to organise an independent union and retaliated against employees seeking collective representation. USTR said it has directed the Treasury Department to suspend liquidation of unliquidated customs entries involving goods manufactured at the facility, meaning the final assessment of duties on affected imports is withheld while the dispute is examined; the step does not by itself amount to a complete prohibition on imports from the factory.
According to USTR, the case originated from a petition submitted on September 10 by a Mexican labour union affiliated with the Confederación Central Nacional (COCENA), alleging harassment, threats and unlawful dismissals of employees involved in union activities. The U.S. Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement, co-chaired by the U.S.Trade Representative and the Secretary of Labor, examined the petition and determined there was sufficient credible evidence to invoke the mechanism. The request is not a final finding that the company violated workers' rights; the review will determine whether workers at the facility have been denied their rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The United States has previously invoked the same mechanism in disputes involving automotive parts manufacturers and other industrial facilities in Mexico.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：纺织服装厂缝纫车间内景（资料图）。摄影：Tareq Salahuddin，CC BY 2.0 授权，来源：Wikimedia Commons
