U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) moved forward with orders on Monday that would block some imports of cotton, apparel, hair products, computer parts and other goods from China’s Western Xinjiang region over forced labor concerns.
The federal government position on human rights abuses in Xinjiang, where the Chinese government is reportedly undertaking a campaign of demographic and cultural genocide against Uighur Muslims and other ethnic minorities, has ramped up through a series of sanctions and other steps over the past year.
“By taking this action, DHS is combating illegal and inhumane forced labor, a type of modern slavery, used to make goods that the Chinese government then tries to import into the United States. When China attempts to import these goods into our supply chains, it also disadvantages American workers and businesses,” says Acting DHS Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli, in a statement.
One of the sessions scheduled during this week’s PPAI Virtual Product Responsibility Summit will examine this issue and help participants identify forced labor in their supply chain. The session is set for September 17 from 12:45 – 1:45 pm CT. Get details and register for Summit here.