The United States will prohibit imports from two companies in China that are accused of using forced labor of Uyghurs in the country’s Xinjiang region.
The Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday that it added Changzhou Guanghui Food Ingredients Co., Ltd. and Baowu Group Xinjiang Bayi Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., companies that manufacture artificial sweeteners and steel, to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List. This legislation made it U.S. policy to operate under the belief that the majority of, if not all, goods from Xinjiang are made through the use of forced labor of Uyghurs, a minority ethnic group in China.
“The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act is the Biden-Harris Administration’s most powerful tool to combat forced labor and hold its perpetrators to account,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.
By refusing imports from the region, the UFLPA ensures that the United States is not complicit in funding such companies. In July, the U.S. government prioritized companies that produce seafood, aluminum, and PVC to the list, bringing the total number of entities to 75, the Department of Homeland Security noted in a press release. The ban will be enforced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and go into effect starting Oct. 3.
“The UFLPA is catalyzing American businesses to fully examine and assess their supply chains and setting a new standard for our international partners as we work together to eradicate forced labor from the global economy,” Mayorkas said. “The Department of Homeland Security will continue to add exploitative companies to the UFLPA Entity List, enforce the law, and uphold the values of the United States.”
The UFLPA Entity List currently comprises manufacturing companies that produce plastics, chemicals, batteries, electronics, agriculture, and household products, among other things, the DHS reported. Wednesday’s actions by DHS were the first time steel and an artificial sweetener company was added to the list.
“Identifying these additional entities provides U.S. importers with more information to conduct due diligence and examine their supply chains for risks of forced labor to ensure compliance with the UFLPA,” noted the press release.
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“Today’s actions reaffirm our commitment to eliminating forced labor from U.S. supply chains and upholding our values of human rights for all,” said Robert Silvers, DHS undersecretary for policy. “No sector is off-limits. We will continue to identify entities across industries and hold accountable those who seek to profit from exploitation and abuse.”
The UFLPA was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Dec. 23, 2001, and went into effect on June 21, 2022. The law was in response to widespread allegations of abuse by the Chinese government of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities, according to the Associated Press. China has denied all accusations of wrongdoing and abuse.