Singapore tells US no forced labour in supply chain

Singapore, largely dependent on migrant workers in labour-intensive industries, on Wednesday told the United States that it does not condone the use of forced labour in supply chains and has a comprehensive framework to enforce against such illegal practices.

In written submissions, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) responded to two separate probes by the Office of the US Trade Representative on alleged structural excess capacity in manufacturing sectors and the effectiveness of Singapore's measures to prevent the import of goods produced with forced labour.

“The US has enjoyed a consistent trade surplus with Singapore for over 20 years,” MTI said.

Singapore is among 60 economies, including Australia, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and the UK, named in the USTR probe into whether they have taken sufficient steps to prevent the import of goods produced with forced labour.

In its written submission, MTI stated that Singapore takes a “firm stance” against forced labour and has a comprehensive legal and enforcement framework to address such practices domestically.