The products from Xinjiang Zhongtai Group Co. Ltd., Xinjiang Tianshan Wool Textile Co. Ltd., and Xinjiang Tianmian Foundation Textile Co. are banned.
27 PRC-Based Companies Designated
WASHINGTON – September 27, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced enforcement measures aimed at eradicating forced labor practices from the U.S. supply chain and ensuring accountability for the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other religious and ethnic minority groups in the so-called Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The interagency Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF), chaired by DHS, has added three People’s Republic of China (PRC)-based companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List. This move brings the total number of entities designated on the UFLPA Entity List to 27 companies.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas emphasized, “We do not tolerate companies that use forced labor or abuse the human rights of individuals in order to make a profit. The Department of Homeland Security and its partners across the Biden-Harris Administration will continue to prosecute these companies, fight for the rights of the abused, and work towards the elimination of Uyghur forced labor in the People’s Republic of China.”
Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security co-sponsored the “Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory” Addendum alongside the U.S. Department of State, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Departments of Treasury, Commerce, and Labor. This addendum offers insights into the ongoing, widespread, and pervasive risks in supply chains attributed to PRC-sponsored forced labor and other human rights abuses in the region. It provides crucial information regarding the implementation and enforcement of the UFLPA, particularly relevant to the business and importing communities. Since the release of the last “Xinjiang Business Advisory” in July 2021, new reports have surfaced on the continuous human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
Effective September 27, 2023, products manufactured by Xinjiang Zhongtai Group Co. Ltd., Xinjiang Tianshan Wool Textile Co. Ltd., and Xinjiang Tianmian Foundation Textile Co. will face restrictions when entering the United States due to their involvement in business practices targeting persecuted groups, including Uyghur minorities in the PRC.
Xinjiang Zhongtai Group Co. Ltd., headquartered in Xinjiang, deals in the production and sale of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), iconic membrane caustic soda, industrial salt, calcium carbide, viscose fiber, viscose yarn, and other textile, chemical, and building materials. Xinjiang Tianshan Wool Textile Co. Ltd., also based in Xinjiang, specializes in the sale and manufacturing of cashmere and wool garments, as well as velvet and other textile products. Xinjiang Tianmian Foundation Textile Co., headquartered in Xinjiang, focuses on yarn and textile product manufacturing. The revised UFLPA Entity List will be published as an appendix to a Federal Register notice by DHS.
The UFLPA, signed into law by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., in December 2021, prohibits the importation of goods into the United States produced either in Xinjiang or by entities identified on the UFLPA Entity List unless the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner determines, by clear and convincing evidence, that the goods were not produced with forced labor. CBP commenced UFLPA enforcement in June 2022 and has reviewed over 5,000 shipments valued at more than $1.74 billion under the UFLPA. The FLETF, comprising the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Departments of Labor, State, Treasury, Justice, and Commerce, will continue to consider designations to the UFLPA Entity List.
“The United States does not and will not tolerate products made with forced labor coming into our country,” stated Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans Robert Silvers, who also chairs the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force. “Through the enforcement actions taken today, the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force is again making clear our country’s resolve to keep the global supply chain fair, just, and secure for all.”
In August, DHS unveiled the 2023 Updates to the Strategy to Prevent the Importation of Goods Mined, Produced, or Manufactured with Forced Labor in the People’s Republic of China. DHS and its components continue to lead the federal government’s efforts to change importer behavior and hold perpetrators accountable for egregious forced labor abuses, as outlined in the strategy.
