[Blog] Should trade policy be used to tackle forced labour?

The EU has a proposal to use trade policy in an attempt to regulate forced labour in goods imported into the EU. Although the aim is to target China, the use of a global non-discrimination approach makes the proposal compatible with WTO law and distinguishes it from the US approach which singles out only forced labour by Uyghurs in China. In its current form the proposal is a bold move to tackle forced labour through the trade provisions of the EU Treaty, flowing on from the lead of using human rights, sustainability and labour standards in EU Treaties with third states. In practice, even if adopted, the reliance on national enforcement may create many regulatory gaps that can be exploited and this this may diminish effective enforcement.