On December 23, 2021, President Biden signed into law the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) to prevent goods made with forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China from entering the U.S. market. That timeline will be exacerbated by the expected announcement of additional prohibited companies on June 21, and the potential delay until that day of guidance from CBP on standards to demonstrate that imports are not connected to forced labor. Crypto company Gemini is having some trouble with fraud, Some Pixel phones are crashing after playing a certain YouTube video. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. In one case, a batch of graduates from a so-called vocational training center in south Xinjiang were transferred directly to a factory in the eastern Anhui province, according to a government report. The 83 foreign and Chinese companies that ASPI has identified as directly or indirectly benefiting from the potentially abusive transfer programs for Uighurs include clothing brands such as Adidas, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger and Uniqlo; carmakers such as BMW, General Motors, Jaguar and Mercedes Benz; and tech giants such as Apple, Google, Huawei and Microsoft. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The Act, codified under 22 U.S.C. Please immediately end any sourcing from companies complicit in using forced labor, and discontinue any business relations with them. Enforcement Priorities In the last fiscal year, 835 companies were found . In March, Apple cut ties with another supplier over allegations it was connected to coercive government labor programs. An April 2021 report co-authored by Human Rights Watch and Stanford Law School details "crimes against humanity," including mass detention, forced labor, torture, and cultural and religious erasure. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) was signed into law by President Biden on December 23, 2021. CBP has released importer guidance to assist the trade community in preparing for the implementation of the UFLPA rebuttable presumption that goes into effect on June 21, 2022. One such ad, claiming to be able to supply 1,000 Uighur workers aged 16 to 18 years, read: The advantages of Xinjiang workers are: semi-military style management, can withstand hardship, no loss of personnel Minimum order 100 workers!. CBP's UFLPA importer guidance is available at CBP.gov. LAIXI, CHINA - JANUARY 8, 2020: The fences along the side of the Qingdao Taekwang Shoes Co. factory [+] -- the side where the Uighur workers enter and exit, and live in dorms -- looks almost like a prison. The estimated figure is conservative and the actual figure is likely to be far higher., In factories far away from home, they typically live in segregated dormitories, undergo organised Mandarin and ideological training outside working hours, are subject to constant surveillance, and are forbidden from participating in religious observances, the report summary continued. In advance of June 21st, CBP will be issuing letters to importers identified as having previously imported merchandise that may be subject to the Act to encourage those importers to address any forced labor issues in their supply chains in a timely manner. A lock ( Thus far, the U.S. government has deployed Withhold Release Orders (WROs), export control restrictions pursuant to the Entity List, and sanctions designations under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which have targeted several large Chinese companies including the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), as well as categories of products. The coalition has published an extensive list of brands it claims continue to source from the region, or from factories connected to the forced labour of Uighur people, including Gap, C&A,. Interagency Convening on Equitable Economic Growth, Workforce Development - Employer Practices, Commerce Department Adds Five Chinese Entities to the Entity List for Participating in Chinas Campaign of Forced Labor Against Muslims in Xinjiang. The presumption applies unless the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) determines that the importer of record has complied with specified conditions and, by clear and convincing evidence, that the goods, wares, articles, or merchandise were not produced using forced labor. This elevated standard will require the importer to not only use due diligence in evaluation of its supply chain, but also to respond completely and substantively to CBP requests for information regarding entries it may review. Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily. They are grouped into different categories and listed below. Xinjiang Junggar Cotton and Linen Co., Ltd. Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (including three aliases: XPCC; Xinjiang Corps; and Bingtuan) and its subordinate and affiliated entities, Aksu Huafu Textiles Co. (including two aliases: Akesu Huafu and Aksu Huafu Dyed Melange Yarn), Hefei Bitland Information Technology Co., Ltd. (including three aliases: Anhui Hefei Baolongda Information Technology; Hefei Baolongda Information Technology Co., Ltd.; and Hefei Bitland Optoelectronic Technology Co., Ltd.), Hefei Meiling Co. Ltd. (including one alias: Hefei Meiling Group Holdings Limited), KTK Group (including three aliases: Jiangsu Jinchuang Group; Jiangsu Jinchuang Holding Group; and KTK Holding). It establishes a rebuttable presumption that the importation of any goods, wares, articles, and merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, or produced by certain entities, is prohibited by . In a spring 2020 report report titledUyghurs For Sale, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute found that at least 83 popular, household-name brands are potentially directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur workers outside Xinjiang through abusive labour transfer programs as recently as 2019.. The Biden administration has been vocal about human rights in China and other jurisdictions, and efforts to enforce supply chain ethics appear to have bipartisan support. Bean, Hugo Boss and Uniqlo are now determining how to root out abuse from their supply chains a challenge given how much . Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation. Senior China researcher explains why viewers should "stay away" from the 2022 Winter Olympics. An official website of the United States government. We will continue doing all we can to protect workers and ensure they are treated with dignity and respect, the spokesperson said. Meet The Company Bridging Synthetic Biology Innovation With The World Of Insurance To Ensure Safe Food Production, Theres A New Species Of Magic Mushroom - Named After Paul Stamets, Absci Takes Its Generative AI Antibody Design Platform To Europe, Meet The Startup Thats Putting Ice Factories In Shipping Containers For Winn-Dixie Supermarkets. The Commerce Department will continue to take firm, decisive action tohold China and other perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable.. Official websites use .gov We hope that by sharing this film we can serve as a catalyst to inspire action against a deep issue in our society and encourage people to help shape a better future.. Click Share This Page button to display social media links. There are watchtowers with cameras pointed in all directions and high barbed wire fences atop the walls. Including the rule announced today, these actions have added 53 parties specifically implicated in human rights abuses of ethnic minorities from Xinjiang, and 15 of these which were implicated in human rights abuses related to forced labor of ethnic minorities from Xinjiang. All Rights Reserved, By submitting your email, you agree to our. We take allegations of human rights abuses seriously, including those related to the use or export of forced labor. Since the release of the ASPIs report, numerous companies and brands have released statements regarding their connections to Uyghur forced labor, with some taking direct action to end their complicity in supply chains corrupted by modern day slavery. Coca-Cola and Nike both pushed back on the NYT report in statements to the Daily Caller, arguing that they did not lobby against the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act or source products from Xinjiang. Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State June 21, 2022 Starting today, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin to implement the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act's provisions to prohibit imports made by forced labor into the United States of products made in Xinjiang. The UFLPA will replace the existing case-by-case implementation of WROs on companies operating in and product categories from the XUAR with a broad U.S. import ban and rebuttable presumption of the involvement of forced or otherwise prohibited labor. #SaveUyghur #SaveUyghur @JFAorg, Send letter to John Donahoe, the Chief Executive Officer at Nike World Headquarters, Save Uyghur Statement on the Xinjiang Police Files and The Faces from Chinas Uyghur Detention Camp, HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP DISMAYED AT IMAMS VISIT TO CHINA, FEARING IT IS BEING USED TO FURTHER PROPAGANDA ABOUT STATE OF UYGHURS, Justice For Alls Save Uyghur Campaign Calls on Assistant Secretary Noyes to Get Uyghurs Released from Thailand, Community Alert For Uyghurs: China Relentlessly Targeting You for its Surveillance Campaign. Questions regarding UFLPA may be submitted to UFLPAInquiry@cbp.dhs.gov. Chinas population of Uyghurs, the countrys Muslim ethnic minority, is largely concentrated in the Xinjiang region of China. 6901 note, established a rebuttable presumption that any goods, wares, articles, and merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of the Peoples Republic of China or produced by an entity on a list required by clause (i), (ii), (iv) or (v) of section 2(d)(2)(B) are prohibited under section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. Companies in the labor transfer program are often in labor-intensive industries, so they asked: is the growing and labor-intensive P.P.E. Our government should tax these company at above the money they are saving by using known slave labor. Questions regarding UFLPA may be submitted to UFLPAInquiry@cbp.dhs.gov. U.S. officials said the Labor Department had seen a nearly 70% increase in child labor violations since 2018, including in hazardous occupations. The report listed popular clothing companies Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, Gap, Calvin Klein, H&M, L.L.Bean, Lacoste, Nike, The North Face, Polo Ralph Lauren, Puma, Skechers, Tommy Hilfiger, Zara, and Victorias Secret, as well as General Motors, Goertek, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagon, and more. As you are likely aware, Congress recently passed, and the President signed into law, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (the Act). Specifically, this will include: (i) a list of entities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region that mine, produce, or manufacture wholly or in part any goods, wares, articles and merchandise with forced labor; (ii) a list of entities working with the government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to recruit, transport, transfer, harbor or receive forced labor or Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz or members of other persecuted groups out of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; (iv) a list of entities that exported products described in clause (iii) from the Peoples Republic of China into the United States [being products mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part by entities on the list required by clause (i) or (ii)]; (v) a list of facilities and entities that source material from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region or from persons working with the government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region or the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps for purposes of government labor scheme that uses forced labor. A number of companies and brands have been linked to labor forced on Uighur Muslims by the Chinese government, according to multiple reports. Almost all global clothing brands are implicated in the use of cotton sourced from Chinese-occupied East Turkestan (Xinjiang) as well. Those factories claim to be part of the supply chain of 83 well-known global brands., The Fair Labor Association has also written a statement calling to an end of all forced labor in East Turkestan: , The Fair Labor Association (FLA) is deeply troubled by credible reports of forced labor and other violations of fundamental human rights in the Xinjiang region of China. (See here.) The complexity and opacity of supply chains in China will complicate the due diligence process, as some products and materials made with forced labor in Xinjiang are repurposed in intermediary factories elsewhere in China, obscuring their origin. In addition to alleging Amazons use of suppliers connected to forced labor, the TTP also found a number of accounts selling Xinjiang-sourced cotton, the sale of which has been banned by the US government last year. These parties can include companies outside of the XUAR. Here are some of the 83 brands listed in the report as being connected to those factories using forced labor. Lets Examine. TheAP investigation, based on interviews with 30 former detainees, family members, a former detention camp instructor, government statistics and state documents, found that the Chinese government seeks to dramatically lower the birthrates of Uighurs and other minorities while encouraging other populations to produce more children. Meta backs new tool for removing sexual images of minors posted online, Mark Zuckerberg says Meta now has a team building AI tools and personas, Whoops! The latest report titled Uyghurs For Sale, from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, reveals a vast network of companies complicit in the mass detention of Uyghurs and other Turkic people. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact, Immigration Expert Says Bidens Immigration Plans Could Provide Amnesty for Millions of People, At Princeton, a Racial Reckoning and a Free Speech Battle. As your company has previously imported merchandise from locations or entities potentially subject to the Act, you are being notified that subsequent entries of such merchandise may result in, among other things, suspension or removal from the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program, seizure, forfeiture and/or penalties, or other appropriate action under the customs laws. An official website of the United States government. 1307) are not entitled to entry at any of the ports of the United States. Over several years, the group has been subject to a number of human rights abuses within the country, including internment camps, constant surveillance, mass sterilization, and forced labor. Byler said the Chinese government's use of forced labor in the Xinjiang region has long been established, but has stepped up since 2017, when the most recent crackdown on Uighurs began. China is using the 2022 Winter Olympics to "legitimize its human rights abuses," a human rights . 6256 - Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, DHS Press Release on UFLPA Public Comment Period, Federal Register Notice Seeking Public Comment. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Lop County Meixin Hair Products Co., Ltd. Nanjing Synergy Textiles Co., Ltd. (including two aliases: Nanjing Xinyi Cotton Textile Printing and Dyeing; and Nanjing Xinyi Cotton Textile), No. Most companies will require advance planning to assess the risks posed by the UFLPA and develop the compliance and due diligence mechanisms that will be needed to monitor supply chains and commercial partners. Apples supply chain has previously been linked to forced labor in China. The report did not document factories using Uyghur labor. From Company-Specific WROs to a Broader Import Ban in the XUAR The UFLPA reflects an expansion of U.S. policy efforts over the past two years to address reported violations of human rights in the XUAR. These workers were transferred from labor camps in the Xinjiang region of western China, WaPo reported. or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Keep in mind also this is part of the problem with China, it is hard for other countries or supply chains to compete with no labor costs. For more information, visitwww.bis.doc.gov. Please note that if you do not receive a letter from CBP, this does not mean that your supply chain is free of forced labor. / Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily. DHS issued a Notice Seeking Public Comments in the Federal Register on January 24, 2022 on methods to prevent the importation of goods produced using forced labor from the People's Republic of China, specifically from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. A number of countries have also imposed sanctions on Xinjiang, with the US moving ban imports from Xinjiang altogether in December. Further complicating the matter are Chinas poverty alleviation and pairing assistance programs, some of which forcibly relocate Uyghur and other minorities as laborers outside of Xinjiang. The TTP found that three Amazon suppliers Luxshare Precision Industry, AcBel Polytech, and Lens Technology have reportedly used forced labor themselves. CBP is urging importers to be proactive and closely review their supply chains to ensure any goods or materials are not sourced from the XUAR in violation of the Act. Zara and Uniqlo owners face investigation over profiting from alleged Uyghur forced labor in China BY Angelina Rascouet, Geraldine Amiel and Bloomberg July 2, 2021, 10:14 AM UTC Leading fashion. All the companies that responded said they required suppliers to follow strict labor . Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Many consumers are now boycotting Primark, but the brand is still expanding. The TTP pinpoints five companies on Amazons supplier list (available as a CSV file in the small print below the pages supply chain map) that have been publicly denounced for being directly or indirectly connected to the forced labor of Chinas Uyghur population in the Xinjiang region. To sign up for updates or to access your subscriber preferences, please enter your contact information below. The enforcement strategy, and how much companies will need to do to satisfy the law, remains to be seen. -- the side where the Uighur workers enter and exit, and live in dorms -- looks almost like a prison. Major solar companies including GCL-Poly, East Hope Group, Daqo New Energy, Xinte Energy and Jinko Solar are named in the report as bearing signs of using some forced labor, according to. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Major international clothing brands like L.L. BOE Technology Group, which supplies screens to Apple, and O-Film, which makes iPhone cameras, both use Uighur labor, either directly or through contractors, the report found.