A coalition of labor unions and allied groups filed a petition calling on the US government to withdraw special trade preferences granted to the Philippines due to the Duterte government’s pervasive violations of workers’ rights. 

The Philippines is one of the largest beneficiaries under the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), a trade program that provides developing nations with duty free access to the U.S. market as long as they meet certain minimum standards, including respecting internationally recognized worker rights.  

The GSP program benefits expired in December 2020 and are currently awaiting reauthorization by Congress.  The petition highlights that the Philippines Government is violating the terms of the workers’ rights provisions and should therefore not be eligible for benefits when Congress reauthorizes the program.