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. As you are likely aware, Congress recently passed, and the President signed into law, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (the Act). We hope that by sharing this film we can serve as a catalyst to inspire action against a deep issue in our society and encourage people to help shape a better future.. A number of previous reports have implicated these companies in the past for example, Luxshare and Lens Technology were both linked to forced labor in bombshell reports from The Information and The Washington Post, although those reports pertained to Apples questionable history of suppliers. 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 UFLPA also requires the interagency Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, chaired by the Secretary of Homeland Security, and in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and Director of National Intelligence, to develop and submit to Congress a strategy for supporting CBPs enforcement of Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 with respect to goods, wares, articles, and merchandise produced with forced labor in the Peoples Republic of China. I was born in a re-education camp at the height of China's infamous Cultural Revolution. 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. This op-ed was originally published by the New York Times on January 20, 2021. In January, the Trump administration said China was committed genocide against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.. The ASPI found that 27 factories across nine Chinese provinces used the labor of Uyghurs forcibly transferred from Chinese-occupied East Turkestan since 2017. 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 . From Company-Specific WROs to a Broader Import Ban in the XUAR WROs on materials like cotton (where an estimated 20 percent of world supply and 85 percent of Chinese supply is from the XUAR) and polysilicon (a key material in solar panels and the photovoltaic supply chain) reportedly are causing CBP to block broad categories of certain products incorporating those materials. While some of the enforcement specifics of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act will be clarified over the next six months, it is clear that grand statements from corporations are no longer enough. 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. The paper also described government incentives such as tax breaks and subsidies for Chinese companies to take Uighurs. They are grouped into different categories and listed below. Nike, Adidas, Apple, Microsoft and Samsung are among 83 multinationals that have been linked to forced labor by Uighurs in factories across China, according to a new study by the Australian. There are watchtowers with cameras pointed in all directions and high barbed wire fences atop the walls. Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Commerce Department will continue to take firm, decisive action tohold China and other perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable.. The Washington Postreported Tuesdaythat Apple supplier Lens Technology uses Uighur workers in its factories, according to documents obtained by the Tech Transparency Project. / Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily. 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. 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. Bean, Hugo Boss and Uniqlo are now determining how to root out abuse from their supply chains a challenge given how much . 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 law places the burden of proof on companies to demonstrate that any imports mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regionor involving entities exporting labor from Xinjiangwere not made using forced labor. However, each company and industry will have unique risks and therefore we may see bespoke risk assessments, supply chain ethical goals and resulting due diligence approaches. The complexity and opacity of supply chains in China will complicate the due diligence process, as some products and materials made with forced labor in Xinjiang are repurposed in intermediary factories elsewhere in China, obscuring their origin. Persons wishing to import affected products to the United States will need to supply evidence demonstrating that those products were not made with forced labor, and meet pending compliance standards. Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State June 21, 2022 Starting today, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin to implement the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act's provisions to prohibit imports made by forced labor into the United States of products made in Xinjiang. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 925) Adidas Amazon private labels American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. Anta Sports Products Ltd. Burberry Group PLC (Burberry) A lock We call for an immediate end to these violations and pledge to work collaboratively with governments, civil society, unions, and multilateral organizations to achieve this goal.. As of April 2021, the following global companies and brands are profiting from their use of modern day Uyghur slavery. In advance of June 21st, CBP will be issuing letters to importers identified as having previously imported merchandise that may be subject to the Act to encourage those importers to address any forced labor issues in their supply chains in a timely manner. 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. The factory, Haoyuanpeng Clothing Manufacturing Co. Ltd, lists Fila, Adidas, Puma and Nike among its clients. The TTP found that three Amazon suppliers Luxshare Precision Industry, AcBel Polytech, and Lens Technology have reportedly used forced labor themselves. Please note that if you do not receive a letter from CBP, this does not mean that your supply chain is free of forced labor. According to the researchers, Uighurs, a persecuted ethnic minority from Chinas western Xinjiang region, have been funneled to work in factories in other provinces under conditions that strongly suggest forced labour.. The activists named 38 companies which they say, based on credible news investigations and news reports, have products connected to forced Uighur or Turkic Muslim labor. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact, Immigration Expert Says Bidens Immigration Plans Could Provide Amnesty for Millions of People, At Princeton, a Racial Reckoning and a Free Speech Battle. A number of countries have also imposed sanctions on Xinjiang, with the US moving ban imports from Xinjiang altogether in December. Under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which comes into effect on June 21, President Joe Biden's administration assumes anything made even partially in Xinjiang is produced with forced . 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. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. As your company has previously imported merchandise sourced from locations or entities potentially subject to the Act, you are being notified that any future entries of such merchandise may be subject to CBP enforcement action, including seizure, forfeiture and/or penalties, or other appropriate action under the customs laws. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Demand Nike and other listed companies to stop sourcing their products from Uyghur forced labor. The estimated figure is conservative and the actual figure is likely to be far higher., In factories far away from home, they typically live in segregated dormitories, undergo organised Mandarin and ideological training outside working hours, are subject to constant surveillance, and are forbidden from participating in religious observances, the report summary continued. 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. An official website of the United States government. We invited Apple, Esprit, and Fila to respond; they did not. 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 . Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily. (LockA locked padlock) (Photo by Anna Fifield/The Washington Post via Getty Images), Nike, Adidas, Apple, Microsoft and Samsung are among 83 multinationals that have been linked to forced labor by Uighurs in factories across China, according to a new study by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). Activists have launched a campaign accusing firms of . 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. Apple lists both . Enforcement Priorities 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. Almost all global clothing brands are implicated in the use of cotton sourced from Chinese-occupied East Turkestan (Xinjiang) as well. I am a journalist writing about China manufacturing and trade. Thus, it may be challenging for an importer to obtain an exception. 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. We have not identified additional exporters at this time but will continue to investigate and gather information about additional relevant entities. Two other companies, GoerTek and. In March, Apple cut ties with another supplier over allegations it was connected to coercive government labor programs. 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. 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. Lop County Meixin Hair Products Co., Ltd. Nanjing Synergy Textiles Co., Ltd. (including two aliases: Nanjing Xinyi Cotton Textile Printing and Dyeing; and Nanjing Xinyi Cotton Textile), No. On the Red Carpet at the 2022 Met Gala . Official websites use .gov 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 Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) was signed into law by President Biden on December 23, 2021. Democrats and Republicans did something remarkable this week: They agreed on something. U.S. remote-control maker Universal Electronics Inc told Reuters it struck a deal with authorities in Xinjiang to transport hundreds of Uyghur workers to its plant in the southern Chinese city of . Byler said the Chinese government's use of forced labor in the Xinjiang region has long been established, but has stepped up since 2017, when the most recent crackdown on Uighurs began. As the TTP points out, Amazons supply chain standards (PDF) specifically rule out forced labor. For more information, visitwww.bis.doc.gov. The Chinese government forcibly relocates Uyghur men and women away from their homes and existing jobs to cotton fields. The Save Uyghur Campaign would like to recognize BBC News for the release of The, Who Are the Uyghurs and Why Is China Being Accused of Genocide? BBC News, 21, 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, , from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, reveals a vast network of companies complicit in the mass detention of Uyghurs and other Turkic people. / Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily. 6256 - Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, DHS Press Release on UFLPA Public Comment Period, Federal Register Notice Seeking Public Comment. These categories appear likely to include additional manufacturers and intermediate supply chain participants outside of the XUAR. The UFLPA now would effectively apply the presumption of forced labor to all goods made in the XUAR without the need for CBP to issue WROs. However, a vast majority of implicated brands and companies have not taken any steps to address their ties to Uyghur forced labor. Whenever we find or receive proof of forced labor, we take action.. The Task Force Strategy Report will identify a list of high-priority sectors for enforcement, which at a minimum must include cotton, tomatoes and polysilicon. Check the below Frequently Asked Questions to see if your questions about UFLPA Enforcement may be answered here. In addition, CBP is subject to reporting requirements that likely will discourage easy granting of exceptions. In March 2020, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) published a report titled Uyghurs For Sale, which revealed a vast network of companies complicit in the use of Uyghur forced labor throughout China. 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. 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. All importers are expected to review their supply chains thoroughly and institute reliable measures to ensure imported goods are not produced wholly or in part with convict labor, forced labor, and/or indentured labor (including forced or indentured child labor). Primark is an Irish fast-fashion retailer with headquarters in Dublin, also operating in the United States. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. 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. "Apple has zero tolerance for forced labor," Rosenstock said. Following near unanimous passage by Congress, President Biden signed into law the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which seeks to untangle American supply chains from the forced labor of Uyghurs and other persecuted ethnoreligious minorities in China. As we made clear during this months G7 summit, the United States is committed to employing all of its tools, including export controls, to ensure that global supply chains are free from the use of forced labor and technology is not misused to abuse human rights, said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. Apples supply chain has previously been linked to forced labor in China. These legal developments also dovetail with broader ESG and corporate responsibility trends. Coca-Cola, Nike, Apple, and other corporationsfought to weakenthe bills language, theNew York Timesreported in late November, arguing that the bill would harm the supply chains they rely on in China. 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. 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). Whenever CBP determines that an exception is appropriate, it is required to make a report to Congressional committees within 30 days. Apr 9, 2022. Share this article with your friends, and let them know which companies to avoid as well. Here, they are paid at most 15 cents a day to pick cotton. 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. We look forward to seeing a prompt apology and response. (See here.) As for population statistics, China lists Xinjiang's population at 24.5 million, including 12 million Uyghurs and 11 million Chinese as well as one million Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Huai, and other ethnic. Please note that this notice may serve as an aggravating factor should CBP take enforcement action upon determining future violations of the Act. 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. A lock ASPI stated that it had found 27 factories in 9 Chinese provinces that are using Uyghur labor transferred from Xinjiang since 2017. In addition to alleging Amazons use of suppliers connected to forced labor, the TTP also found a number of accounts selling Xinjiang-sourced cotton, the sale of which has been banned by the US government last year. The report accuses Amazon of continuing to work with these suppliers, despite evidence of their association with Uyghur labor camps. 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 . One such ad, claiming to be able to supply 1,000 Uighur workers aged 16 to 18 years, read: The advantages of Xinjiang workers are: semi-military style management, can withstand hardship, no loss of personnel Minimum order 100 workers!. Any violation of our policies has immediate consequences, including possible business termination. As the TTP notes, China uses what it calls labor transfers to transport Uyghurs from the Xinjiang region to factories throughout China, forcing them into labor programs the TTP says are often coercive and connected to a network of mass internment and reeducation camps., Five suppliers have been publicly denounced for being connected to the forced labor. Primark uses sweatshops to make very low-price clothing. Check the documents below for UFLPA Applicability Review best practices, as well as guidance on executive summaries and sample tables of contents for Applicability Review submissions. 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? For the most up-to-date information on CBPs UFLPA implementation, please see our website at https://www.cbp.gov/trade/forced-labor/UFLPA. DHSs New Criminal Enforcement Initiative to Prosecute Corporations for Forced Labor, Slavery in Supply Chains: CBP Petitions Raise New Forced Labor Compliance Risks, Recent DOJ Action Creates Uncertainty for Information-Sharing Programs, NLRB Invalidates Common Confidentiality and Non-Disparagement Clauses in Severance Agreements, U.S. Attorneys Offices Adopt New Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy, Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. These parties can include companies outside of the XUAR. LockA locked padlock 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. 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. Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily. Some companies have even advertised their ability to supply Uighur workers through online bookings. The laws rebuttable presumption means companies whose supply chains touch Xinjiangor utilize Xinjiang-exported laborwill have to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that their products are free of forced labor. In a spring 2020 report report titledUyghurs For Sale, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute found that at least 83 popular, household-name brands are potentially directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur workers outside Xinjiang through abusive labour transfer programs as recently as 2019.. BuzzFeed News reported finding more than 100 detention facilities located beside factories. -- the side where the Uighur workers enter and exit, and live in dorms -- looks almost like a prison. Fila LL Bean Hugo Boss Lacoste Li-Ning The North Face Skechers Tommy Hilfiger Victoria's Secret Zara Zegna Anta Jansport Clothing Brands Versace Jimmy Choo Michael Kors Chanel Costco Hanes Hermes Gucci Balenciaga Yves Saint Laurent Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Fact Sheet, Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Importer Overview, H.R. July 21, 2022 July 20, 2022 RealClearWire. For further inquiries, please contact the UFLPA Entity List Team atFLETF.UFLPA.EntityList@hq.dhs.gov. 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. An official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Most fashion brands can't promise their products aren't implicated, with concern spreading from fast-fashion and sportswear giants to major luxury groups. It is bothersome that millions of people, including myself, may be owning clothing that are made by modern day slaves. For the most up-to-date information on CBPs UFLPA implementation, please see our website at www.cbp.gov/trade/forced-labor/UFLPA. Under conditions that strongly suggest forced labour, Uyghurs are working in factories that are in the supply chains of at least 82 well-known global brands in the technology, clothing and automotive sectors, including Apple, BMW, Gap, Huawei, Nike, Samsung, Sony and Volkswagen.