South Africa seeks tariff exemption as US probes forced labour tied to imports

South Africa has asked the United States to exempt it from proposed tariffs linked to a U.S. investigation into the enforcement of bans on imports of products made with forced labour in dozens of countries, arguing that it has robust laws prohibiting the practice.

A South African delegation led by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition appeared before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in Washington this week as part of a Section 301 investigation examining whether at least 60 economies adequately enforce bans on imports of goods made with forced labor.

The delegation stressed that South Africa has ratified key International Labor Organization conventions prohibiting forced labor and has legislation that allows authorities to block imports produced using forced labour.

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