The US has suspended trade privileges for Bangladesh, citing lack of labour reforms and inability to ensure workers' rights. The Generalised System of Preference, GSP is a 37-year-old trade preference program under which the United States provides duty-free treatment to many imports from developing countries. In a message to the Congress after issuing a proclamation in this regard, President Barack Obama said, it is appropriate to suspend Bangladesh's designation as a beneficiary developing country under the GSP program because it is not taking steps to afford internationally recognised worker rights to workers in the country.Such a move by the Obama Administration would have a major impact on the garment industry in Bangladesh, which is one of the major foreign exchange earners for the country. The suspension will become effective 60 days after the publication of the presidential proclamation in the Federal Register