US suspends tobacco imports from Malawi over forced child labor (CNN & Freedok United. Nov,6,2019)


The United States has suspended imports of tobacco and tobacco products from Malawi over concerns that they were produced using forced child labor. Forced labor in Malawi’s tobacco industry is well-documented; the US Department of Labor notes that children harvesting the crop are exposed to toxic pesticides and chemicals. Children working in the tobacco harvest also risk illness from nicotine absorption, including “green tobacco sickness,” according to the Department of Labor.