, which revealed a vast network of companies complicit in the use of Uyghur forced labor throughout China. (Washington, DC) - The United States government should vigorously enforce a new law that aims to prevent imports linked to forced labor by Uyghurs and other persecuted groups in China, Human . The Washington Postreported Tuesdaythat Apple supplier Lens Technology uses Uighur workers in its factories, according to documents obtained by the Tech Transparency Project. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. U.S. officials said the Labor Department had seen a nearly 70% increase in child labor violations since 2018, including in hazardous occupations. 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. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) was signed into law by President Biden on December 23, 2021. Some companies have even advertised their ability to supply Uighur workers through online bookings. A number of companies and brands have been linked to labor forced on Uighur Muslims by the Chinese government, according to multiple reports. -- the side where the Uighur workers enter and exit, and live in dorms -- looks almost like a prison. Xinjiang workers have also been placed in factories that are part of Apples supply chains, including a plant in Guangzhou visited by Apple CEO Tim Cook in December 2017. 1307) are not entitled to entry at any of the ports of the United States. 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. ASPI stated that it had found 27 factories in 9 Chinese provinces that are using Uyghur labor transferred from Xinjiang since 2017. 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Several major companies have reportedly fought efforts to end the practice of forced labor specifically the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which passed the House by a vote of 403-6 in September. Some brands including Adidas, Bosch and Panasonic told ASPI they had no direct contractual relationships with the suppliers indicated in the report, but no one could rule out a link further down their supply chain. Put On The Gas. Two other companies, GoerTek and Hefei BOE Optoelectronics, are indirectly involved, and allegedly utilize suppliers that have been accused of using forced labor. The TTP found that three Amazon suppliers Luxshare Precision Industry, AcBel Polytech, and Lens Technology have reportedly used forced labor themselves. Preparing for June 21, 2022 The enforcement strategy, and how much companies will need to do to satisfy the law, remains to be seen. 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. It is bothersome that millions of people, including myself, may be owning clothing that are made by modern day slaves. Official websites use .gov Thus, it may be challenging for an importer to obtain an exception. Looking for the presence of forced labor is part of every supplier assessment we conduct, including surprise audits, spokesman Josh Rosenstock told Apple. An official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 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. Most fashion brands can't promise their products aren't implicated, with concern spreading from fast-fashion and sportswear giants to major luxury groups. As the TTP points out, Amazons supply chain standards (PDF) specifically rule out forced labor. CBP guidance for XUAR WROs, and standards like the ILO Indicators of Forced Labor can provide reference points. The programs target the countrys Muslim minority population, particularly Uyghurs living in Xinjiang. The period coincides with Chinas campaign ofmass internment of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, which the government says is needed to root out terrorism and separatism. Looking for U.S. government information and services? Several Apple suppliers may have used forced labor in China, according to The Information. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Apple supplier Lens Technology uses Uighur workers in its factories, according to documents obtained by the Tech Transparency Project. Dont pretend theres not a problem in America. Read the FLETF'sStrategy to Prevent the Importation of Goods Mined, Produced, or Manufactured with Forced Labor in the Peoples Republic of China. "Apple has zero tolerance for forced labor," Rosenstock said. The US Department of Commerce said the . Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 currently prohibits the importation of all goods, wares, articles, and merchandise mined, produced or manufactured wholly or in part in any foreign country by forced labor. Under 19 U.S.C. Even more to the point, how about forced labor right here in the U.S. with our prisons (especially the privatized ones), with our vagrancy laws, our with our use of cheap underpaid and unpaid foreign labor from the very groups that conservatives want to deport unless, of course, these conservatives can make more unbegotten money from their forced labor? 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. Earlier this year, Tesla faced criticism for opening a showroom in the Xinjiang region and was also mentioned as an alleged customer of the aforementioned Lens Technology company in the TTP report from December 2020. This report estimates that more than 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred out of Xinjiang to work in factories across China between 2017 and 2019, and some of them were sent directly from detention camps, a summary of the report said. 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. Take action against global brands and companies complicit in forced labor by not buying their products. Our government should tax these company at above the money they are saving by using known slave labor. 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 . This op-ed was originally published by the New York Times on January 20, 2021. 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. 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. The paper also described government incentives such as tax breaks and subsidies for Chinese companies to take Uighurs. All work must be voluntary, and workers must be free to leave work and terminate their employment or other work status with reasonable notice.. They added: The tainted global supply chain that results from these practices means that it is now difficult to guarantee that products manufactured in China are free from forced labour., This is a BETA experience. 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. An official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. All Rights Reserved, By submitting your email, you agree to our. 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. 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. In January, the Trump administration said China was committed genocide against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.. Nov. 17, 201801:48. manufacturing also using Uighur workers?https://t.co . An official website of the United States government. A lock It will place new requirements on a wide range of industries that rely on labor from Xinjiang, especially apparel, automotive, technology, food & beverage, and solar companies. All Rights Reserved, By submitting your email, you agree to our. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. Best practices for compliance and supply chain due diligence still are evolving. 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. For the most up-to-date information on CBPs UFLPA implementation, please see our website at www.cbp.gov/trade/forced-labor/UFLPA. 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. For more information, visitwww.bis.doc.gov. 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. Apple spokesman Josh Rosenstock said the company has confirmed that Lens Technology has not received any labor transfers of Uighur workers from Xinjiang. Activists have launched a campaign accusing firms of . The entities to be added to the Entity List in connection with participating in the practice of, accepting, or utilizing forced labor involving Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups in the XUAR are: Hoshine Silicon Industry (Shanshan) Co., Ltd. Xinjiang Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd. Xinjiang East Hope Nonferrous Metals Co., Ltd. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Fact Sheet, Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Importer Overview, H.R. These parties can include companies outside of the XUAR. Please note that this notice may serve as an aggravating factor should CBP take enforcement action upon determining future violations of the Act. To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra: [HOT] Read Latest COVID-19 Guidance, All Aspects [SCHEDULE] Upcoming COVID-19 Webinars & Online Programs, [GUIDANCE] COVID-19 and Force Majeure Considerations, [GUIDANCE] COVID-19 and Employer Liability Issues. We invited Apple, Esprit, and Fila to respond; they did not. The guidance referenced above under Section 2(d)(6) is not expected until closer to June 21, 2022, as part of the Task Force Strategy Report, and thus companies may not know for some time what are the due diligence, effective supply chain tracing, and supply chain management measures that will meet CBP standards. 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. 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS 83 global companies and brands are directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur forced laborers in these factories.