Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced on the 25th that it has asked the Mexican government to investigate suspected violations of workers' rights at a tire plant operated by industry giant Yokohama Rubber in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila. A Mexican labor union filed the complaint, alleging that workers who engaged in union activities were treated unequally, among other violations of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. Based on the provisions of the trade agreement known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the USTR has instructed the U.S. Treasury Department to suspend the settlement of products from the plant. If the Mexican government acknowledges the rights violations, it is being asked to prompt corrective action within 45 days of this request. In a statement, the USTR also noted that the company closed a plant in the southern U.S. state of Virginia in March and "laid off 600 American workers."