Friday, July 10, 2015

Exclusive - U.S. upgrades Malaysia in annual human trafficking report: sources

By Jason Szep, Patricia Zengerle and Matt Spetalnick
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is upgrading Malaysia from the lowest tier on its list of worst human trafficking centres, U.S. sources said on Wednesday, a move that could smooth the way for an ambitious U.S.-led free-trade deal with the Southeast Asian nation and 11 other countries.
The upgrade to so-called "Tier 2 Watch List" status removes a potential barrier to President Barack Obama's signature global trade deal.