U.S. to Probe Policies of Eight Nations
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WASHINGTON — The United States will open an investigation of worker rights and expropriation policies in eight developing countries, the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office said Tuesday.
If violations of American trade policies are found, the nations could lose their low-tariff benefits for exports to the United States under the Generalized System of Preferences program.
The trade office said it would review charges of worker rights violations against Peru, Uruguay and Costa Rica and of taking foreign assets without fair compensation against Benin, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand and the Dominican Republic.
At the same time, the trade office rejected charges of worker rights violations against Guatemala, the Philippines and El Salvador.
The charges of worker rights violations were filed by U.S. labor unions and human rights groups, and the charges of illegal expropriations were filed by various businesses.
An investigation of alleged illegal expropriation of Occidental Petroleum Co. property in Venezuela was being continued, the trade office said.
It also said it was extending a review of worker rights in Haiti, Liberia and Syria that had been opened in 1988.
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