Dominican business sector responds to U.S. forced labor investigation
Santo Domingo.- The National Council of Private Enterprise expressed support for the Dominican government’s response to an investigation launched by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) into labor practices within global supply chains, emphasizing that the Dominican Republic has consistently demonstrated its commitment to labor rights and international trade standards.
The business organization stressed that the USTR review is not directed exclusively at the Dominican Republic but forms part of a broader investigation involving more than 60 countries. CONEP noted that the process does not constitute a direct accusation against the country and highlighted the ongoing dialogue between Dominican authorities, productive sectors, and U.S. officials to address any concerns raised during the investigation.
According to CONEP, the Dominican government has maintained active communication with U.S. authorities and has worked closely with the private sector to provide information and ensure an accurate understanding of the country’s labor practices. The organization reaffirmed its willingness to collaborate with authorities and expressed confidence that technical discussions will help clarify the Dominican Republic’s compliance with labor and trade obligations.
The statement follows the inclusion of the Dominican Republic in a USTR investigation under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974. The probe examines alleged shortcomings in preventing forced labor within supply chains and could eventually result in additional tariffs on imports from countries under review. While no sanctions have been imposed, the investigation places the country under increased trade scrutiny as the United States strengthens its focus on labor rights, supply-chain transparency, and economic security.
Let the RD police itself. This self-policing is what the USA did when Pres. Ronald Reagan began the deregulation of US industries, removing government inspectors and regulatory oversight, thus allowing the industries to police themselves. So why should the US be telling the RD what to do? Say again, let the RD police itself.
This is Trump looking for an excuse to add tariffs to imports. It’s ok for a US business to employ slave labor overseas to enable their product to be made at low cost, exported back to the US, and then sold for high profits. That’s how Apple, for example, makes massive profits selling its phones and computers.
When the overseas company has learned how to produce the product and could then offer that into the market at a lower cost, Trump wants to penalize that business by adding a tariff on the basis that slave labor is keeping the price down. The reality is that the price consumers have been paying for years has always been excessive because of profiteering by US companies.