U.S. adds 29 more companies to import ban list

U.S. expands Uyghur forced labor import ban while Canada lags on enforcement

  • Published on
    November 22, 2024
  • News Source Image
  • Category:
    Forced Labor, Law & Policy
Hero Banner

The Biden administration has expanded its Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List by adding 29 companies allegedly linked to forced labor in China’s Uyghur Region. This marks the largest expansion of the blacklist since the law took effect in 2022. Canada, however, faces criticism for failing to enforce its own forced labor ban, even as the European Union adopts groundbreaking regulations.

U.S. ramps up efforts to address forced labor

The new additions bring the UFLPA Entity List to over 100 companies, whose goods are now presumptively blocked from U.S. entry under the 2021 law. Many of the newly banned entities are involved in agriculture, as well as mining and smelting of key materials like aluminum and lithium.

“Holding organizations accountable for their human rights abuses is a priority of ours, and has never been stronger,” said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, defending the administration’s actions. The UFLPA targets goods from the Uyghur Region, a key producer of cotton, tomatoes, and solar-panel components, citing documented forced labor abuses against Uyghurs and other minority groups.

Richard Vanderford for the Wall Street Journal reports,

The UFLPA has driven many businesses to probe their supply chains or risk having their shipments denied entry stateside. As of Nov. 1, about $3.66 billion in shipments have been at least temporarily blocked since the law took effect in June 2022, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Mayorkas highlighted the administration’s reliance on technology to detect supply chain violations, stating, “It’s sometimes very difficult to get the granularity in the supply chain, but we have made incredible strides in our investigative capabilities.”

Canada’s enforcement falls short

While the U.S. leads with proactive measures, Canada faces criticism for failing to enforce its forced labor import ban effectively. Walk Free’s Global Slavery Index estimates Canada imports over CAD 27 billion annually in goods at risk of forced labor, including electronics, garments, and gold.

Barriers to enforcement have rendered Canada’s law largely ineffective, allowing products made with forced labor to enter markets despite the ban. Experts have called for alignment with global best practices to empower enforcement agencies and ensure legislative intent is realized.

Just last week, the European Union set a new benchmark with its recently adopted regulation to ban products made using forced labor. This law, unlike Canada’s, applies to all goods sold, imported, or exported from the EU, including those produced domestically. The move underscores the growing global push for corporate accountability in supply chains.

We welcome corporate accountability!

We welcome these additions and hope to see a faster increase in the rate of expansion of the Entity List across high-risk industries and supply chains.

Freedom United has been campaigning for companies like SkechersApple and others to cut ties with the Uyghur forced labor system which extends across China through labor transfer schemes.

Join the campaign today!

Subscribe

Freedom United is interested in hearing from our community and welcomes relevant, informed comments, advice, and insights that advance the conversation around our campaigns and advocacy. We value inclusivity and respect within our community. To be approved, your comments should be civil.

stop icon A few things we do not tolerate: comments that promote discrimination, prejudice, racism, or xenophobia, as well as personal attacks or profanity. We screen submissions in order to create a space where the entire Freedom United community feels safe to express and exchange thoughtful opinions.

Notify of
guest
1 Comment
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
david william secker

Canada needs to get on board with this. Join everyone else and ban these companies. Do not trade with them.

This week

Meatpacking plants are repeat offenders of child exploitation

A shocking investigation by the Department of Labor (DOL) has uncovered persistent child labor violations at Seaboard Triumph Foods’ pork processing plant in Sioux City, Iowa. Over four years, children as young as 13 were illegally employed to sanitize hazardous equipment using corrosive chemicals, violating federal laws designed to protect minors from dangerous work. The revelations of widespread child labor exploitation in industries like

| Tuesday December 3, 2024

Read more