Europeans may refuse imports of Turkmen cotton, reports Fergana, citing an EU law that prohibits the sale of raw materials and goods produced using forced labor within its territory.
The document is intended to eliminate economic incentives that allow companies to benefit from exploiting workers in their supply chains.
The law also obliges EU members to share information about the use of forced labor not only in Eurozone countries but also in other countries.
In 2021, Turkmenistan exported over 7,408 tons of cotton to the EU, valued at 11.85 million euros, compared to 5,635 tons valued at 8.74 million euros in 2020.
Notably, the EU has refused to lower tariffs on textile imports from Uzbekistan until Tashkent allows the International Labour Organization (ILO) to investigate numerous reports of child labor use in Uzbekistan.
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are among the top ten leading cotton exporters in the world.
European human rights activists have repeatedly accused Turkmenistan authorities of using forced labor in cotton harvesting and production and have called on the EU to ban the import of such Turkmen goods into its markets.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
November 22, 2024