The United States on Tuesday banned imports from three Chinese companies on accusations they use the forced labor of Uyghur minority Muslims. Photo by Wu Hong/EPA-EFE
Sept. 27 (UPI) — The Biden administration has taken action to ban imports from three additional Chinese companies as part of its ongoing effort to combat the use of forced labor among Uyghur minority individuals in China’s supply chain.
The United States has accused China of engaging in genocide against the Uyghur Muslim population in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where it is estimated that approximately one million Uyghurs have been detained in concentration camps since 2017.
While China denies these accusations and claims that the Uyghurs are being held in re-education facilities to counter extremism, the United States maintains that they are being unjustly imprisoned, subjected to forced sterilization, torture, labor, and strict limitations on their religious, expressive, and movement rights.
According to a report released by the Congressional Research Service on Friday, Uyghurs in China are coerced into working in labor-intensive industries such as textiles, apparel, agriculture, consumer goods, electronics, and more. Those who refuse are subjected to detention and other punitive measures.
Starting Wednesday, imports of goods produced by Xinjiang Zhongtai Group, Xinjiang Tianshan Wool Textile, and Xinjiang Tianmian Foundation Textile will be prohibited from entering the United States.
“We do not tolerate companies that exploit forced labor and violate human rights for their own profit,” stated Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas in a press release.
“The Department of Homeland Security, along with our partners in the Biden-Harris administration, will continue to hold these companies accountable, advocate for the rights of those abused, and work towards eliminating Uyghur forced labor in the People’s Republic of China.”
Since the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act was signed into law by President Joe Biden in December 2021, the United States has restricted imports from a total of 27 countries that produce goods in Xinjiang or involve identified companies.
According to statistics released by the Department of Homeland Security, since the law went into effect in June 2022, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents have reviewed a total of 5,346 shipments worth over $1.8 billion, with 2,325 shipments being denied entry into the United States.
The CRS report also stated that from 2019 to 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection blocked the importation of goods suspected to have been produced using forced labor in Xinjiang under the Tariff Act of 1930.
Furthermore, the United States has imposed sanctions on Chinese officials deemed responsible for the human rights abuses inflicted upon Uyghur citizens.
This latest action follows the previous ban imposed by the Biden administration on imports from two Chinese companies in early August.
