US adds Indian shrimp to forced labor list

Earlier this year, the Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA), which represents the US shrimp industry, filed a petition with the government, accusing India of forced and child labor in its aquaculture industry, saying the allegation was supported by evidence from labor rights groups Corporate Accountability Lab, the Associated Press and The Outlaw Ocean Project. The US Department of Labor has added shrimp products from India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Cambodia to the list under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). Shrimp products from these countries are still allowed to enter the US market, but US importers have to re-evaluate and define them because these products will attract more supervision and attention, and even increase reputational risks. India is the largest supplier of shrimp products to the United States, exporting 157,134 tons of shrimp products to the United States in the first seven months of 2024, worth $1.2 billion, accounting for 38% of the ...