US requests Mexico probe into labor rights at textile factory

The United States has requested that Mexico investigate alleged labor rights violations at Carolina Performance Fabrics, an automotive textile manufacturer located in the state of Guanajuato. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) invoked the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to address the matter.

The request follows a petition from a Mexican labor union affiliated with the Confederación Central Nacional (COCENA). The union alleges that the company interfered with efforts to organize an independent union and engaged in retaliation against employees seeking collective representation, including harassment, threats, and unlawful dismissals.

As part of the enforcement action, the USTR has directed the Treasury Department to suspend the liquidation of customs entries for goods manufactured at the facility. This measure withholds the final assessment of duties on affected imports while the labor dispute is investigated, though it does not constitute a total ban on imports from the factory.