Singapore is hitting back at the United States over its inclusion in an annual U.S. report on human trafficking, saying the authors are ignoring more serious trafficking problems in their own country.

In statement Tuesday, Singapore's foreign ministry also said the U.S. report was filled with “inaccuracies,” including a claim that people are forced into working on Singapore-based fishing vessels.

The U.S. report, issued Monday, elevated Singapore's status but kept it at “Tier Two,” meaning it does not fully comply with minimum standards for human trafficking.

But, the ministry said, the authors “unabashedly” ranked the United States in Tier One in spite of problems that “on any objective criteria” are more severe than in Singapore.

As examples, the ministry cited U.S. trafficking in illegal immigrants and a New York Times article about the criminal prosecution of U.S. teenage runaways who are coerced into prostitution.