BBC · Trump tariffs: they made America's clothing, and now they are getting punished for it
The headline is as misleading as the article. Sri Lankans, Cambodians and Bangladeshis are not being “punished,” least of all for working in garment factories. Attention-seeking headlines like this have become common even in reputable outlets.
The Rutgers dean quoted in the piece concedes that developing countries, like America, benefited from the old quota system. For nearly three decades most of them, apart from China and to a lesser extent India, squandered those benefits. They failed to invest in their people's health, education and environment, and corruption and bad governance were the norm. Countries like Sri Lanka and Cambodia are now paying the price, while China, and to a lesser extent India, can absorb the change with less pain.
