While some industries may have experience with conflict minerals, blood diamonds or child labor, not all compliance and ethics programs are designed to look at supply chain risks. Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily. Baoding LYSZD Trade and Business Co., Ltd. Changji Esquel Textile Co. Ltd. (and one alias : Changji Yida Textile), Hetian Haolin Hair Accessories Co. Ltd. (and two aliases: Hotan Haolin Hair Accessories; and Hollin Hair Accessories), Hetian Taida Apparel Co., Ltd (and one alias: Hetian TEDA Garment), Hoshine Silicon Industry (Shanshan) Co., Ltd (including one alias: Hesheng Silicon Industry (Shanshan) Co.) and subsidiaries, Xinjiang Daqo New Energy, Co. Ltd (including three aliases: Xinjiang Great New Energy Co., Ltd.; Xinjiang Daxin Energy Co., Ltd.; and Xinjiang Daqin Energy Co., Ltd.), Xinjiang East Hope Nonferrous Metals Co. Ltd. (including one alias: Xinjiang Nonferrous), Xinjiang GCL New Energy Material Technology, Co. Ltd (including one alias: Xinjiang GCL New Energy Materials Technology Co.). Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Abercrombie & Fitch, adidas, Amazon, BMW, Gap, H&M, Inditex, Marks & Spencer, Nike, North Face, Puma, PVH, Samsung and UNIQLO to respond; their responses are provided. Numerous sources, including government documents, show that transferred workers are assigned minders and have limited freedom of movement.. The Washington Postreported Tuesdaythat Apple supplier Lens Technology uses Uighur workers in its factories, according to documents obtained by the Tech Transparency Project. Enforcement Priorities 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. At least 570,000 Uighur Muslims are being forced to work in Chinese cotton fields that produce one-fifth of the world's supply, a new report says. Apples supply chain has previously been linked to forced labor in China. From Company-Specific WROs to a Broader Import Ban in the XUAR Preparing for June 21, 2022 The report estimates that more than 80,000 Uighurs were transferred to work in factories across China between 2017 and 2019. Apple lists both . 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 Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) was signed into law by President Biden on December 23, 2021. Rebutting the Forced Labor Presumption Our government should tax these company at above the money they are saving by using known slave labor. Crypto company Gemini is having some trouble with fraud, Some Pixel phones are crashing after playing a certain YouTube video. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS (Amazon and Facebook told The Information they wouldnt work with suppliers using forced labor; Google and Microsoft didnt respond. 1307) are not entitled to entry at any of the ports of the United States. 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. The UFLPA mandates a review and strategy-development process expected to result in the identification of additional parties whose products will be presumed to derive from forced labor and banned from import. Washington - Human rights activists, labor leaders and others urged the White House on Friday to put its weight behind a coming ban on products made with forced labor in the . 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. or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Apple spokesman Josh Rosenstock said the company has confirmed that Lens Technology has not received any labor transfers of Uighur workers from Xinjiang. Bean, Hugo Boss and Uniqlo are now determining how to root out abuse from their supply chains a challenge given how much . It is incumbent upon you as an importer to apply due diligence, effective supply chain tracing, and supply chain management measures to ensure that such imports are free from any goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor from the Peoples Republic of China, especially from the XUAR. As of April 2021, the following global companies and brands are profiting from their use of modern day Uyghur slavery. The UFLPA Entity List can be found in the Strategy to Prevent the Importation of Goods Mined, Produced, or Manufactured with Forced Labor in the Peoples Republic of Chinaand the Federal Register Notice on the Addition of Entities to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List. Although journalists have in the pastlinked Western companies to forced Uighur labor, this is the first time the problem is made apparent on such a large scale, enveloping factories and supply chains across the country. Although state media are claiming Uighurs are being compensated for their work, the ASPI researchersfound they live in segregated dormitories, are unable to go home, and they undergo Mandarin and ideological training outside working hours, similarly to Uighurs in the internment camps. Using Amazon's June 2021 supplier list, the TTP said it found five of the companies on the list had publicly known links to forced labor programs called "labor transfers," which. Crypto company Gemini is having some trouble with fraud, Some Pixel phones are crashing after playing a certain YouTube video. (See here.) 6256 - Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, DHS Press Release on UFLPA Public Comment Period, Federal Register Notice Seeking Public Comment. 4 Vocation Skills Education Training Center (VSETC), Tanyuan Technology Co. Ltd. (including five aliases: Carbon Yuan Technology; Changzhou Carbon Yuan Technology Development; Carbon Element Technology; Jiangsu Carbon Element Technology; and Tanyuan Technology Development), Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) and its subordinate and affiliated entities. Amazon is allegedly employing suppliers in China with links to forced labor, according to a report from the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), a research group owned by the nonprofit watchdog organization Campaign for Accountability (via NBC News). Let the companies know youre using your power as the consumer to advocate for human rights by tagging them in social media and pushing them to address their complicity in Uyghur forced labor. Click Share This Page button to display social media links. Entities identified in sections (i) and (ii) above may serve as both manufactures and exporters. 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. Take action against global brands and companies complicit in forced labor by not buying their products. Do not buy products made with the tears of modern-day Uyghur slaves. In the last fiscal year, 835 companies were found . Primark has been involved in child labor and modern slavery scandals before. Apple, whichhas saidthat it is is committed to donating to organizations that challenge racial injustice and mass incarceration, has protested that it rigorously audits companies in its supply chain to make sure that Apples products arent derived from forced labor, saying in a statement to WaPo that Apple has zero tolerance for forced labor.. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. Among the required elements of the Task Force Strategy Report are lists of entities meeting the characteristics outlined at Section 2(d)(2)(B) of the UFLPA at (i), (ii), (iv) and (v). Nov. 17, 201801:48. As always, our focus is on making sure everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and we will continue doing all we can to protect workers in our supply chain, Rosenstock added. For some products and industries, it may be easier to track sources and seek certifications of product origin. However, a vast majority of implicated brands and companies have not taken any steps to address their ties to Uyghur forced labor. This action targets these entities ability to access commodities, software, and technology subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and is part of a U.S. Government-wide effort to take strong action against Chinas ongoing campaign of repression against Muslim minority groups in the XUAR. Six of the seven suppliers were said to participate in work programs operated by the Chinese government, The Information reports, which human rights groups describe as frequently offering cover for forced labor. Amazon suppliers must not use forced labor slave, prison, indentured, bonded, or otherwise, its standards read. 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 Peoples Republic of China, or produced by certain entities, is prohibited by Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 and that such goods, wares, articles, and merchandise are not entitled to entry to the United States. A lock Here, they are paid at most 15 cents a day to pick cotton. The tech industry at large relies on suppliers in China, and The Information reports that these companies have also worked with Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Facebook, among others. Apple said it looks for forced labor as part of every assessment it conducts. Activists have launched a campaign accusing firms of . In March 2020, a damning report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute revealed that the Chinese government was forcing hundreds of young Uyghur women to. We invited Apple, Esprit, and Fila to respond; they did not. Following a public comment period, the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force will describe how companies can adequately demonstrate that their imports originating from China are not made with forced labor. The Entity List is a tool utilized by BIS to restrict the export, reexport, and transfer (in-country) of items subject to the EAR to persons (individuals, organizations, companies) reasonably believed to be involved, or to pose a significant risk of becoming involved, in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States. Primark is an Irish fast-fashion retailer with headquarters in Dublin, also operating in the United States. In June remarks, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincysaidhe was outraged, sad, frustrated, angry over the death of George Floyd and promised that the company stands with those seeking justice and equality., Nike has also spoken out against racism in the U.S., particularly in a May 2020 ad thaturged viewersFor once, dont do it. 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. Many companies will require advance planning to assess the business and legal risks posed to their supply chains by these rule changes, and develop appropriate compliance and due diligence mechanisms. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS 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. LockA locked padlock 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. Any dollar that goes to these brands is a dollar that goes into the factories profiting off of Uyghur forced labor. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Workers can be jailed for refusing to join the work programs, the report says, and those enrolled in the programs are often moved far from their homes. The companies supplied Apple with antennas, cables, and coatings, among other products and services, according to The Information. Additional license requirements apply to exports, re-exports, and transfers (in-country) of items subject to the EAR to listed entities, and the availability of most license exceptions is limited. Apple . The Save Uyghur Campaign would like to recognize BBC News for the release of The, Background Date of Birth:February 26th, 1973 National Identification Number: 65010319730226283X Chinese Official Name: , Background Date of Birth: January 6th, 1987 National Identification Number: 652924198701060014 Chinese Official Name: Alimu, General contact / Media queries info@justiceforall.org, 27 E. Monroe St. #700, Chicago IL 60603, USA, In March 2020, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) published a report titled. Between January 22, 2022, and June 21, 2022, the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force established under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the Director of National Intelligence, will undertake a process that will result in a strategy for supporting enforcement of Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. To sign up for updates or to access your subscriber preferences, please enter your contact information below. Official websites use .gov Thus, companies can expect that CBP will improve its detection and enforcement capabilities relative to the last two years of WRO enforcement. ASPI stated that it had found 27 factories in 9 Chinese provinces that are using Uyghur labor transferred from Xinjiang since 2017. Two other companies, GoerTek and Hefei BOE Optoelectronics, are indirectly involved, and allegedly utilize suppliers that have been accused of using forced labor. One of the suppliers operated in Xinjiang, the region of China predominantly populated by Uyghurs and where the most egregious human rights violations have reportedly taken place. Photo Uyghur Muslims by the Uyghur Human Rights Project. "Apple has zero tolerance for forced labor," Rosenstock said. Apr 9, 2022. China is using the 2022 Winter Olympics to "legitimize its human rights abuses," a human rights . A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. CBP issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) against cotton products and tomato products produced in Xinjiang based on information that reasonably indicates the use of detainee or prison . (See here.) The US Department of Commerce said the . A number of companies and brands have been linked to labor forced on Uighur Muslims by the Chinese government, according to multiple reports. Two top congressional Democrats, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., urged players to drop endorsement deals with Chinese sportswear companies that use cotton from Xinjiang . An investigation by the Associated Press published in June found that the Chinese government is committing demographic genocide against Uighur Muslims through forced abortions, birth control, mass detentions, and imprisonment. These workers were transferred from labor camps in the Xinjiang region of western China, WaPo reported. The UFLPA includes a process for importers to show via clear and convincing evidence that an imported item from the XUAR or linked to additional listed entities was not mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part by forced labor. In addition to providing such evidence, Section 3(b) of the UFLPA requires (A) compliance with forthcoming guidance under Section 2(d)(6) on due diligence, effective supply chain tracing, and supply chain management measures to ensure that such importers do not import any goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor from the Peoples Republic of China, especially from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; and (B) cooperation with CBP in completely and substantively answering inquiries and information requests. 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. I am a journalist writing about China manufacturing and trade. You may opt-out by. Withhold Release Orders and Findings List, Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, Best Practices for Applicability Reviews: Importer Responsibilities, Guidance on Executive Summaries and Sample Tables of Contents, https://www.cbp.gov/trade/forced-labor/UFLPA, Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations. Importers of record will have a path to overcome that rebuttable presumption by showing that the items are not mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part by forced labor and demonstrating other elements of compliance. 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). Law Firms: Be Strategic In Your COVID-19 Guidance [GUIDANCE] On COVID-19 and Business Continuity Plans. . Chinese parents who have more than a few children are often sent to detention camps or subjected to huge fines, the publication found, and police instill terror into families by raiding homes searching for hidden children. Companies doing business in China should consider the following to prepare for the new requirements. SHARE. 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. The report and process for its preparation also are designed to help CBP improve its capacity to administer the import ban. 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. There are watchtowers with cameras pointed in all directions and high barbed wire fences atop the walls. The programs target the countrys Muslim minority population, particularly Uyghurs living in Xinjiang. Several Apple suppliers may have used forced labor in China, according to The Information. This statute expands on those earlier efforts and is likely to impact a large number of U.S. companies, non-U.S. companies engaged in manufacturing or distribution in the United States, and other importers. BuzzFeed News reported finding more than 100 detention facilities located beside factories. Forced labor has been a central part of China's campaign against the Uighurs for as long as I can remember. 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,. Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation. Amazons suppliers are responsible for making Amazon-branded products, such as the Echo, Fire TV, Kindle, the wide range of affordable products sold as part of its Amazon Basics line, and more. As the TTP points out, Amazons supply chain standards (PDF) specifically rule out forced labor. Written by USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel. 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. I was born in a re-education camp at the height of China's infamous Cultural Revolution. 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 . These categories appear likely to include additional manufacturers and intermediate supply chain participants outside of the XUAR. An official website of the United States government. Please note that this notice may serve as an aggravating factor should CBP take enforcement action upon determining future violations of the Act. As you are likely aware, Congress recently passed, and the President signed into law, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (the Act). WASHINGTON Effective January 13 at all U.S. ports of entry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will detain cotton products and tomato products produced in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. ASPI stated that it had found 27 factories in 9 Chinese provinces that are using Uyghur labor transferred from Xinjiang since 2017. 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. (See here.) ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Two other companies, GoerTek and. 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. We will continue doing all we can to protect workers and ensure they are treated with dignity and respect, the spokesperson said. 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. 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. Lets Examine. 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. Almost all global clothing brands are implicated in the use of cotton sourced from Chinese-occupied East Turkestan (Xinjiang) as well. The United Nations estimates that, since 2017, China has forcibly placed an estimated 1.5 million Uyghur and Turkic Muslims in prison camps across the Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
