United States Seeks Mexico's Review of Alleged Denial of Workers’ Rights at Tubos de Acero de Mexico, S.A.

Breadcrumb

June 13, 2025

WASHINGTON – United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced today that the United States has asked Mexico to review whether workers at Tubos de Acero de Mexico, S.A. (TAMSA), located in Veracruz, Mexico, are being denied the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The United States has suspended liquidation of tariffs on goods from the TAMSA facility, which manufactures steel pipes and other related products.

Background

The United States Trade Representative and the Secretary of Labor co-chair the Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement (ILC). On May 14, 2025, the ILC received an RRM petition from the Sindicato Nacional de la Industria de la Transformación del Acero, Metalúrgica Siderúrgica y Metal Mecánica (SINAIN), a Mexican labor union. The petition alleges that TAMSA is systematically denying SINAIN members’ their right to freedom of association and collective bargaining through acts of anti-union discrimination and employer interference. The ILC reviews RRM petitions that it receives, and the accompanying information, within 30 days.

After conducting this review, the ILC determined that there is sufficient, credible evidence of a denial of rights enabling the good faith invocation of enforcement mechanisms. As a result, the United States Trade Representative has submitted a request to Mexico that Mexico review whether workers at TAMSA are being denied the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Mexico has 10 days to agree to conduct a review and, if it agrees, 45 days from today to complete the review.

A copy of the request for review can be found here.

A copy of the letter to the Secretary of the Treasury can be found here.

Information about previous requests can be found here.

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