What role does ILAB play in U.S. trade policy with respect to labor issues?
• ILAB represents the Department of Labor in the interagency committees chaired by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in the negotiation and implementation of the labor chapters of Free Trade Agreements. These chapters define and promote internationally recognized core labor standards. ILAB also participates in the interagency deliberations of USTR chaired committees related to the implementation of U.S. trade preference legislation, such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) and the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). These programs extend duty-free access for certain countries to developing countries. Countries who participate in these programs are required to take steps to provide internationally recognized labor rights and standards. Using the leverage provided by these programs, the United States has been successful in securing significant improvements in laws and practices reg
