U.S. to Review Duty-Free Status

The United States will review the duty-free status of six countries, including Israel, because of charges they have violated worker rights, U.S. Trade Representative Clayton Yeutter said today.

Workers rights charges against Israel were filed by the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee. Yeutter also accepted petitions to investigate the labor practices of Burma, Haiti, Liberia, Malaysia and Syria. The possible denial of duty-free status under the 1988 Annual Review of the Generalized System of Preferences to imports from these countries could cost them about $1 billion in revenue, said Gary Holmes, a spokesman for the Trade Representative’s office.