Asia Floor Wage Alliance Demands Brand Accountability As US Tariffs Threaten Millions Of Garment Sector Workers

Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA), a coalition of trade unions representing garment workers across Asia, stands united against trade policies that threaten workers’ interests and deepen global inequality. The U.S. government’s recent imposition of tariffs on apparel imports from Asia endangers the livelihoods of millions of garment workers, predominantly women, already earning poverty-level wages.

The imposition of tariffs risks triggering a humanitarian crisis on the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic – when global brands walked away from their responsibilities – unleashing mass layoffs, factory closures, and widespread wage theft, and intensification of gender–based violence and harassment. The cost of geopolitical maneuvers will be borne by garment workers – the majority of whom are women – who will face unemployment and deepening poverty. All while brands continue to prioritize profit over people.