US adds 29 Chinese companies to Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has added 29 Chinese companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) entity list on behalf of the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF), a DHS statement said.

This brings the total number of entities on the list to 107, as part of U.S. government efforts to combat forced labor in global supply chains, particularly in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

The UFLPA, which came into effect in 2022, aims to prevent the import of goods produced using forced labor, particularly from areas associated with human rights abuses such as Xinjiang. DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas stressed that the US will continue to aggressively enforce the Act, holding companies that engage in forced labor practices accountable and preventing them from exploiting vulnerable populations, particularly Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, in US markets. Will protect.

The 29 newly listed entities are mainly involved in the agriculture, manufacturing and electronics sectors. The companies are suspected of either sourcing materials from Xinjiang or working with the Chinese government to exploit Uyghur workers.

These include the Tianjin Tianwei Food Company, which sources tomatoes from Xinjiang, and the Xinjiang Zhonghe Company, which reportedly cooperates with local authorities to recruit Uyghurs for forced labor programs.

The expanded list also includes companies linked to the mining industry, such as Xinjiang Non-Ferrous Metals Industry Group and its subsidiaries, which are accused of using forced labor in the extraction of valuable metals such as lithium and gold. The statement said the action follows an ongoing investigation that has uncovered substantial evidence of forced labor operations within the region.

According to the statement, in line with the new measures, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will enforce a rebuttable presumption that goods produced by the listed companies will be prohibited from entering the US unless the companies can provide clear evidence that their Product not made using forced labour. The initiative reflects the Biden administration’s commitment to upholding human rights and ethical sourcing in global trade.

Since enactment of the UFLPA, CBP reviewed more than 10,000 shipments valued at more than $3.6 billion, representing significant progress in preventing goods made through forced labor from entering U.S. markets.

Mayorkas and Robert Silver, Under Secretary for Policy and President of FLETF, both stressed the importance of industry accountability, urging companies to thoroughly examine their supply chains and adopt ethical practices.

“The United States will not tolerate forced labor in goods entering our markets,” Silvers said. “The UFLPA is a powerful tool and we are using it to its full potential,” he/she was quoted as saying in the statement.

The statement said that as DHS continues to target companies involved in human rights violations, expanding the UFLPA entity list underscores the U.S. government’s commitment to eliminating forced labor and promoting a fairer, more responsible global trading system. Does.