In recent days, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that imports of goods from two Chinese companies: one steel producer and one artificial sweetener producer, will be banned.
Both companies are accused of using forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region, an area at the center of numerous international allegations of human rights violations.
The measure is part of a broad effort by the U.S. to block the entry of products linked to illicit practices and marks an important step forward in enforcing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, a law that identifies through a specific list of goods that are extracted, produced, or manufactured and are banned due to their origin.
The DHS has specified that this is the first time a steel company and an aspartame producer based in China have been affected by such measures.
“Today’s actions reaffirm our commitment to eliminating forced labor from U.S. supply chains and upholding our values of human rights for all”, said Robert Silvers, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for policy. Silvers also added “No sector is off-limits. We will continue to identify entities across industries and hold accountable those who seek to profit from exploitation and abuse.”
The federal law, signed by President Joe Biden in 2021, is a response to allegations of human rights violations by the Chinese government against the Uyghur population and other Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region.
However, China has denied the accusations, defending its policies as necessary to combat terrorism and maintain stability. It has also accused Washington of using the issue as a pretext to limit its economic growth.
The enforcement of the U.S. law has had significant impacts on trade relations with China, introducing greater protections linked to national security and human rights. Initially, the imposed restrictions focused on sectors such as solar energy, cotton, and clothing. In recent months, however, U.S. authorities have extended controls to sectors such as aluminum and seafood, confirming the widespread presence of forced labor in global supply chains.
