Ministry rejects damaging US claim of child labour in fishery industry

The Commerce Ministry has vehemently denied a US allegation that the Thai fishery industry employs children and foreign labourers, an accusation that could devastate export growth in this sector.

After a meeting with US officials on relations under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), Piramol Charoenpao, director-general of the Trade Negotiations Department, said Thailand needed to clear up this issue, as the US had based its stance on untrue information. The allegations had damaged the image of the fishery industry, she said.

The United States has claimed that the Thai frozenfoods industry has employed children and exploited alien workers, which has resulted in a campaign for American consumers to boycott Thai frozen foods.

The Nation