Apparel Group Wants Extension of Burmese Ban
One of the largest apparel trade groups in the United States is asking Congress to renew import restrictions on goods coming from Burma, also known as Myanmar.
Under the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003, goods from Burma, including apparel and textiles, have been prohibited from entering the country. The ban expires July 31.
Kevin Burke, president and chief executive of the Arlington, Va.–based American Apparel & Footwear Association, sent letters to key Congressional leaders urging them to approve resolutions that would extend the ban for three years. Burma has been under military rule since 1962.
“The renewal of the import ban will send a clear and unmistakable message that the United States is not interested in doing business with regimes such as the one that brutally enslaves the people of Burma,” Burke wrote in letters sent to Congressmen Bill Thomas (RCalif.) and Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), and Senators Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.).
“While the international community has universally condemned the deplorable human and labor rights situation in Burma, regrettably, the United States has been the only one to exercise true leadership by imposing tough sanctions,” Burke wrote. —Deborah Belgum
