Latin America and the Caribbean 

This region is an important global hub for garment production and specializes in the production of t-shirts, athletic leisure wear, and other knits. Labor costs are generally higher in Latin America than in major garment-producing countries in Africa and Asia. For example, garment workers in Honduras earn more than $400 a month, while workers performing the same jobs in Vietnam earn less than half that amount. However, despite higher cost of production, U.S. apparel companies often source from Latin America given its proximity to North American markets.  

Additionally, trade agreements such as Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement, United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement and the Haiti Economic Lift Program Acts, have provided duty-free access of goods shipped from the region to markets in the US and Canada. While wages are generally higher in this region than in other countries, the cost of living is also higher and worker advocates report that in no country in the region are workers typically paid a living wage.  

Violations most frequently identified at garment factories in the region include wage theft and gender-based violence and harassment, as well as violations of occupational health and safety standards and retaliation for the exercise of freedom of association. Through the cultivation of a network of partner organizations, the WRC is regularly alerted to violations soon after they occur. The WRC responds with in-depth investigations of worker complaints; these investigations consistently have resulted in garment factories and apparel brands taking the necessary steps to provide remedy for workers. This has included reinstatement and compensation for workers who were illegally fired for union organizing, protesting wage theft, and resisting sexual harassment, and repayment of millions of dollars in stolen wages.