The U.S. has added two Chinese companies to its Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) blacklist over forced labor accusations. The Department of Homeland Security placed a Chinese steel manufacturer and an artificial sweetener maker on the list, which now includes 75 entities banned from importing goods tied to forced labor in the Uyghur region. These are the first companies in these industries to be added.
The UFLPA, signed into law in 2021, addresses the exploitation of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities. This action follows Beijing’s retaliation against U.S. companies for “discriminatory measures” related to cotton from the region. China’s Ministry of Commerce is investigating PVH, owner of Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, for allegedly boycotting cotton from the Uyghur region. PVH has 30 days to respond before potentially being added to China’s “unreliable entities” list.
The European Union and Taiwan are also considering similar bans on products made with forced labor.
— Source: CNBC
