Dive Summary:

• Following the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh which killed more than 1,200 people in April, many U.S. retailers have not signed the legally-binding accord to address workplace safety.
• “They may be more concerned than the European firms about actually being sued. They don't want to have it be that it's their responsibility to pay for health and safety for factories that they don't own," stated global trade expert Kimberly Elliott.
• The National Retail Federation does not support the pact which many European countries have agreed on. The majority of U.S. brands could most likely continue self-regulation efforts internationally to address worker safety.

From the article:

“We're still having big problems in the garment sector. There have been improvements. Some of the programs are better than others, but it's not a solution. I think it's more about protecting the brand than improving conditions," she said. A U.S. State Department official says American retail companies need to make their own decisions as to whether they will sign the accord.