WASHINGTON – The United States and Japan held the second meeting of the Task Force on the Promotion of Human Rights and International Labor Standards in Supply Chains. The government dialogue was held virtually on October 7, 2024 and the stakeholder dialogue was held virtually on December 17, 2024.
The Task Force, which was launched last year by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, is a mechanism for the United States and Japan to protect and promote human rights and internationally recognized labor rights, including by combatting the use of forced labor in supply chains through trade policy. In the Task Force’s second meeting, the United States and Japan highlighted efforts being made in seafood supply chains. In the government dialogue, co-chaired by Acting Assistant United States Trade Representative for Labor Brenna Dougan, agencies from both countries’ governments exchanged information on relevant laws, policies, guidance, and initiatives pertaining to the seafood sector, including:
- Updates on the seafood sector’s designation as a high priority sector in the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Strategy;
- Initiatives such as the Collaborative Accelerator for Lawful Maritime Conditions in Seafood to promote legal and safe working conditions;
- Progress in Regional Fisheries Management Organizations to address labor concerns;
- Laws such as the Maritime SAFE Act to strengthen maritime security and combat IUU fishing;
- Government resources such as the Responsible Sourcing Tool to assist U.S. federal contractors and companies in identifying, preventing, and addressing forced labor in their supply chains and developing risk-management systems; and
- Initiatives such as the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program to establish reporting and recordkeeping requirements for imports of specific seafood species groups, to prevent IUU-caught and/or misrepresented seafood from entering U.S. commerce.
For the United States, USTR was joined in the government dialogue by representatives from the Department of State, the Department of Labor, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For Japan, the participating agencies were the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Yesterday’s stakeholder dialogue featured an industry outreach event and was co-facilitated by USTR Director of Labor Affairs Donna Chung. In the dialogue, seafood producers and retailers from both countries were briefed on government efforts to promote labor standards in supply chains, including those specific to seafood supply chains; offered their perspectives on these efforts; and shared ideas for the private sector and governments to work together on innovative solutions.
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