In the wake of the U.S. Trump administration’s sweeping changes to global trade, MSN joins with the Clean Clothes Campaign network in calling on apparel brands to ensure that the costs of the tariffs and the ensuing uncertainty are not borne by workers further down the supply chain.  

During the global pandemic, major apparel brands often forced suppliers to absorb the costs of any economic disruption. Suppliers then pushed the cost onto garment workers. Labour rights violations were rampant, sudden order cancellations led to closures, and many workers were financially devastated, while brands continued to profit. Brands should avoid this practice in the future, yet brands like Gap, Target, Walmart, and Levi’s are reportedly already pressuring suppliers to reduce prices and/or absorb the full cost of the tariffs.

Workers in countries that were initially threatened with higher tariffs like Cambodia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Lesotho and Vietnam, or even relatively lower tariff countries like Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras, already do not earn enough to meet their basic needs. Brands should ensure workers will not bear the brunt of these costs.

For more information:

• Garment workers cannot be made to pay the price for Trump’s tariff war (CCC)
• The Impact of US Trade Tariffs: A Labour Rights Perspective from Pakistan (Labour Education Foundation)