US adds 29 Chinese firms to Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity list

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

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

The UFLPA, which went into effect in 2022, aims to prevent the importation of goods produced using forced labour, especially from regions linked to human rights abuses, such as Xinjiang. DHS Secretary Alejandro N Mayorkas emphasized that the US will continue to aggressively enforce the act, holding accountable companies that engage in forced labour practices and safeguarding US markets from the exploitation of vulnerable populations, particularly Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities.

The 29 newly listed entities are primarily involved in the agricultural, manufacturing, and electronics sectors. The companies are suspected of either sourcing material from Xinjiang or working with the Chinese government to exploit Uyghur labour.

Among them are Tianjin Tianwei Food Co, which sources tomatoes from Xinjiang, and Xinjiang Zhonghe Co, which allegedly collaborates with local authorities to recruit Uyghurs for forced labour programs.

The expanded list also includes companies linked to the mining industry, such as Xinjiang Nonferrous Metals Industry Group and its subsidiaries, which are accused of using coerced labour in the extraction of valuable metals like lithium and gold. These actions follow ongoing investigations that have uncovered substantial evidence of forced labour operations within the region, the statement said.

As per the statement, in line with the new measures, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will apply 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 products were not made using forced labour. This initiative reflects the Biden administration’s commitment to upholding human rights and ethical sourcing in global trade.

Since the enactment of the UFLPA, CBP reviewed over 10,000 shipments valued at more than USD 3.6 billion, marking significant progress in preventing goods made through forced labour from entering US markets.

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

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

As DHS continues to target companies involved in human rights violations, the expansion of the UFLPA Entity List underscores the US government’s commitment to eradicating forced labour and promoting a fairer, more responsible global trade system, the statement added.