India moves to block imports linked to forced labour amid USTR probe
India is updating its Foreign Trade Policy to prohibit the import of goods produced through forced labor, aligning with International Labour Organisation standards. This move comes amid a US Trade Representative probe into India's labor practices.
Why it matters
This regulatory shift reflects India's attempt to avoid trade sanctions and align its domestic legal framework with international human rights standards.
NEW DELHI: Amid US Trade Representative's Section 301 probe on failure of 60 countries, including India, to check imports using forced labour, govt has decided to insert a new clause seeking to block the entry of specified goods and other inputs, while reiterating that the shipment of such goods into the country is prohibited.The clause is proposed to be inserted into the Foreign Trade Policy, which will allow the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to notify goods that are prohibited based on an investigation.Along with this, govt has decided to use International Labour Organisation's (ILO) definition of forced labour as part of its exercise to "strengthen the foreign trade policy framework for restricting import of goods produced through forced labour", DGFT said.ILO's definition based on Forced Labour Convention of 1930 defines it as all work or service extracted from a person under "the menace of any penalty and for…
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