Singapore Reaffirms Stance Against Forced Labour to US

Singapore has addressed the US regarding its efforts to prevent forced labour in supply chains, emphasizing its robust legal framework and cooperation with US laws. Singapore maintains a strong trade relationship and supports significant American employment through its investments.

Singapore, a nation reliant on migrant workers for its labor-intensive sectors, has asserted to the United States its strict stance against the use of forced labor in supply chains. This was conveyed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) in response to probes by the US Trade Representative, focusing on manufacturing sector capacity and the effectiveness of Singapore's measures against importing forced labor-produced goods.

The MTI highlighted that the US has maintained a trade surplus with Singapore for more than two decades. Singapore, part of a global trade investigation including 60 other economies, insists its legal frameworks robustly criminalize forced labor and human trafficking. The Prevention of Human Trafficking Act, alongside various legal provisions, forms a comprehensive enforcement approach against such practices.

In addition to condemning forced labor, Singapore emphasized its tripartite labor protection model involving the government, employers, and unions, ensuring awareness and upholding labor standards. Singapore prides itself on never appearing in the US Department of Labour's list of nations associated with goods produced by forced or child labor since 2009 and on its longstanding cooperative relations with the US.

(With inputs from agencies.)