DHAKA: Work atmosphere and workers’ wages in factories topped the agenda as a high-powered delegation from the United States Trade Representatives (USTR) met country’s garment exporters’ apex body the BGMEA on Tuesday.

The two-member delegation comprising Carlos H Romeo, Deputy Assistant of USTR Executive Office and Michael O’Donovan, Economist of Trade Policy & Negotiations Division of the US Labour Department arrived here Tuesday.

The US will take decision over Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) in US market on the basis of the delegation’s report, sources said.

The delegation will visit Khulna to see shrimp industries and the trade union activities.

“GSP and labour issues came up during the meeting,” Carlos H Romeo told banglanews24.com.bd after the meeting.

Carlos termed the meeting as ‘fruitful’, he said they will submit a report in the office of the President Office of the USTR.

“They wanted to know our position on working scenarios in the factories and minimum wages,” Farook Hasan, Vice president of the BGMEA told banglanews24.com.bd.

He said the GSP facility was not a big factor for Bangladeshi products. Only 0.6 percent products have been exported to US market under GSP facilities last year.

Rest of the products competed with other countries, he added.

About USTR delegation visit to Dhaka the Country Representative of Solidarity Center, a US-based labour-right organization, David John Wales, told banglanews24.com.bd that the delegation came here to consider the fresh appeal for GSP facilities by the government of Bangladesh.


BDST: 1935 HRS. July 27, 2010