SRINAGAR, INDIA, October 23, 2007: On the heels of the proposed U.S ban on importing products produced by child or forced labor, government officials in India are trying to be proactive before the ban targets the Indian handicraft industry which has exports of over US$3.5 billion. Minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh says, “We have fought this battle 10 years ago, but the US government’s public notice of restricting products involving child labor and forced labor needs to be taken seriously. We cannot take this perception lightly and that is why the export promotion councils of carpet, gems, and handicrafts have been asked to meet this week.”
Criteria for establishing the parameters of the ban are still in the works as the American labor department was still seeking guidelines for “preparing a public list of products produced by child and forced labor” on October 1st.
Ramesh has suggested that the industry conduct their own third party audits to provide proof that they are not using child or forced labor. At the same time the minister has sided adamantly with families that are cohesively making a living from traditional family crafts so that they are not labeled as using child or forced labor.