US PRESIDENT Donald Trump plans to end Mauritania's US trade privileges under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) on January 1 because the north African state condones slavery, reports American Shipper.
The Office of the US Trade Representative said Mauritania has the highest prevalence of hereditary slavery in the world and restricts the ability of civil society to freely work to address antislavery issues.
'Forced or compulsory labour practices like hereditary slavery have no place in the 21st century,' said deputy US Trade Representative CJ Mahoney.
'This action underscores this administration's commitment to ending modern slavery and enforcing labour provisions in our trade laws and trade agreements. We hope Mauritania will work with us to eradicate forced labour and hereditary slavery so that its AGOA eligibility may be restored in the future,' he said.
President Trump determined Mauritania isn't making sufficient progress toward establishing the protection of internationally recognised worker rights during the executive branch's annual AGOA eligibility review.
The Office of the US Trade Representative said Mauritania has the highest prevalence of hereditary slavery in the world and restricts the ability of civil society to freely work to address antislavery issues.
'Forced or compulsory labour practices like hereditary slavery have no place in the 21st century,' said deputy US Trade Representative CJ Mahoney.
'This action underscores this administration's commitment to ending modern slavery and enforcing labour provisions in our trade laws and trade agreements. We hope Mauritania will work with us to eradicate forced labour and hereditary slavery so that its AGOA eligibility may be restored in the future,' he said.
President Trump determined Mauritania isn't making sufficient progress toward establishing the protection of internationally recognised worker rights during the executive branch's annual AGOA eligibility review.