In 2006, the National Labor Committee, a U.S. nongovernmental organization, published a series of reports on Jordanian sweatshops whose conditions were „the worst,” according to the NLC`s executive director: 20-hour workdays, months of non-payment, and physical abuse. Most of the workers are not Jordanian; These are contract guest workers from countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and China who pay a lump sum of about $2,000 to $3,000 to be hired by a garment factory. However, some factories then confiscate their passports and expose them de facto to involuntary servitude bordering on human trafficking. [8] Many members of Congress have expressed concern, particularly because the free trade agreement with Jordan has been hailed as „historic and progressive, because it has included labor and environmental provisions directly in the agreement rather than being in a parallel agreement.” [1] Jordan became a „magnet for apparel manufacturing” when U.S. companies such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Hanes established factories to cut costs by eliminating tariffs. In its first year of existence, Jordan had increased its exports by 213 per cent and created 30,000 jobs. Until 2002, Jordan had a marginal trade surplus with the United States. [1] Five years after the entry into force of the free trade agreement, Jordanian exports to America had increased twentyfold; Jordan`s apparel exports to the United States amounted to $1.2 billion in 2005. [6] Most Jordanian exports to the United States come from one in 114 companies. [7] The Free Trade Agreement with Jordan results in significant and comprehensive liberalisation in a wide range of trade issues. Within ten years, it will remove all tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade for almost all industrial goods and agricultural products.

ARTICLE 15: JOINT COMMITTEE 1. A Joint Committee is hereby set up to monitor the proper application of this Agreement and to examine trade relations between the Parties. (i) a dispute arises as to the interpretation of this Agreement; (ii) a Party considers that the other Party has breached its obligations under this Agreement; or (iii) a Party considers that the measures taken by the other Party significantly distort the trade balance benefits of this Agreement or significantly undermine the fundamental objectives of this Agreement. (a) After the date of entry into force of this Agreement, a Party shall not fail to effectively enforce its environmental laws by persistent or recurring act or inaction in a manner that affects trade between the Parties. (b) The Parties recognize that each Party retains the right to exercise its discretion with respect to investigative, enforcement, regulatory and compliance matters and to make decisions on the allocation of resources for law enforcement with respect to other environmental issues identified as having higher priorities. Accordingly, Parties shall presume that a Party will comply with subparagraph (a) where a course of action or inaction reflects an appropriate exercise of that discretion or results from a decision in good faith on the allocation of resources. (a) The Joint Committee shall be composed of representatives of the Parties and shall be chaired by (i) the United States Trade Representative and (ii) the Jordanian Minister primarily responsible for international trade or their representative. (b) The Joint Committee may establish and delegate responsibilities to ad hoc and standing committees or working groups and seek the advice of non-governmental individuals or groups. Trademarks and geographical indications 6. Trademarks include service marks, collective marks and certification marks7 and may contain geographical indications.8 7. The proprietor of a registered trade mark shall have the exclusive right to prohibit third parties who do not have the consent of the proprietor from using identical or similar signs, including geographical indications, in the course of trade for goods or services related to those for which the trade mark is registered, where such use would give rise to a likelihood of confusion.

8. Article 6a of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (1967) (Paris Convention) applies mutatis mutandis to goods or services which are not similar to those identified by a registered or unknown trade mark, provided that the use of that trade mark for those goods or services suggests a link between those goods or services and the proprietor of the trade mark, and provided that the interests of the proprietor of the proprietor of the trade mark are liable to be prejudiced by such use. 9. Neither party requires the registration of trademark licenses in order to determine the validity of the license or to enforce rights in a trademark. ARTICLE 1: ESTABLISHMENT OF A FREE TRADE AREA AND RELATIONS WITH OTHER AGREEMENTS 1. The Parties to this Agreement hereby establish a free trade area in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, in accordance with Article XXIV of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade („GATT 1994”) and Article V of the General Agreement on Trade in Services („GATS”). 2. The Parties reaffirm their respective rights and obligations towards each other under existing bilateral and multilateral agreements to which both Parties are parties, including the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organisation (WTO Agreement). 3. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as derogating from any international legal obligation between the Parties which entitles the goods or services or the supplier of a good or service to treatment more favourable than that accorded by this Agreement.

(4) Article 17 shall not be construed as authorizing a Party to apply a measure inconsistent with its obligations under the WTO Agreement. .