US suspends trade deal with Myanmar after junta’s deadly crackdown
- ‘The killing of peaceful protesters, students, workers, labour leaders, medics and children has shocked the conscience of the international community,’ US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said
- The statement effectively removes Myanmar from the Generalised System of Preferences, in which the US grants duty-free access to some imports from developing nations
The United States on Monday suspended a trade pact with Myanmar as it voiced outrage over the military junta’s killing of more than 100 democracy protesters over the weekend.
The Trade and Investment Framework, which laid out ways to boost business but was not a fully-fledged deal, will remain suspended until democracy is restored, President Joe Biden’s administration said.
“The United States strongly condemns the Burmese security forces’ brutal violence against civilians,” US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said, using Myanmar’s former name of Burma.
“The killing of peaceful protesters, students, workers, labour leaders, medics and children has shocked the conscience of the international community,” she said in a statement.
She said the US would also scrutinise Myanmar’s labour record as it determines tariff status, voicing “serious concerns” about the military’s curbs on unions and worker rights.
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The statement effectively removes Myanmar from the Generalised System of Preferences, in which the US grants duty-free access to some imports from developing nations if they meet key standards.