How does the rapid response work in the T-MEC operate?
The Request for Rapid Labor Response is regulated by a series of rules that this Tuesday was published by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in the Federal Register.
When the Intersecretary Labor Committee receives a Rapid Response Request with the accompanying information, it will review the Request and the information within 30 days of its receipt by the Office of Trade and Labor Affairs (OTLA) and will determine whether there is sufficient and credible evidence of a denial of rights in the covered facility to allow good faith invocation of enforcement mechanisms.
If the Committee decides that there is sufficient and credible evidence of a denial of rights in the covered facility to allow the good faith invocation of enforcement mechanisms, it will inform the USTR for the purpose of submitting a request for review pursuant to Article 31-A.4 of the T-MEC.
If the Committee determines that there is insufficient and credible evidence of a denial of rights in the covered facility to permit the good faith invocation of enforcement mechanisms, the Committee will certify that determination to the Senate Finance Committee, the Media Committee. and Excise Taxes of the House of Representatives and the petitioner.
Quick job response
When the Committee receives a Petition from the Labor Chapter with the accompanying information, the Commission will review the Petition and the information no later than 20 days after the OTLA has received it.
If, after the review, the Committee determines that an additional review is warranted, the Committee will conduct an additional review focused solely on determining, no later than 60 days after the filing date, whether there is sufficient and credible evidence that the other Party does not comply with its labor obligations, for the purposes of initiating a compliance action under Chapter 23 or Chapter 31 of the T-MEC.
Finally, if the Committee determines that there is sufficient and credible evidence that the other Party is not complying with its obligations under the Labor Chapter in order to initiate a compliance action under Chapter 23 or Chapter 31 of the T-MEC, the Committee will immediately inform the USTR.
