The US government has removed Thai shrimp from its lists of products suspected of being produced by forced or child labour, according to Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
The decision marks a significant step not only for the shrimp sector but also for the fishing and labour industries, he said on Friday. It is expected to improve trade and export opportunities for Thai businesses in the US market, he added.
The US Department of Labor earlier this week released updates on goods produced through the use of child or forced labour in many countries.
Thai shrimp have been removed from the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor and the Executive Orders List for 2024, which tracks goods produced by forced child labour.
The department first placed shrimp from Thailand on its Executive Orders List in 2009. This list is intended to ensure that US federal agencies do not procure goods made by forced or indentured child labour.
Under US procurement regulations, federal contractors who supply products on the list must certify that they have made a good-faith effort to determine whether forced or indentured child labour was used to produce the items supplied.
Mr Phiphat said a new assessment of Thai labour practices by the US had found that both the public and private sectors had made efforts to address concerns about the use of forced labour and child labour in the shrimp industry.
Sopha Kiatniracha, chief of the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare, said the department has been strictly enforcing the laws to stamp out the use of forced and child labour in the shrimp sector.
She said the department took proactive action and encouraged the industry and its supply chain to adopt standard labour practices. It also worked with 12 non-government organisations to prevent the abuse of migrant workers.