There are watchtowers with cameras pointed in all directions and high barbed wire fences atop the walls. Nike, Apple linked to forced Uyghur labor in China, report says - Quartz An official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The Biden administration has been vocal about human rights in China and other jurisdictions, and efforts to enforce supply chain ethics appear to have bipartisan support. -- the side where the Uighur workers enter and exit, and live in dorms -- looks almost like a prison. 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. CBP's UFLPA importer guidance is available at CBP.gov. Two other companies, GoerTek and. 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.. 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. 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. For some products and industries, it may be easier to track sources and seek certifications of product origin. Companies need to implement robust preventative and transparency measures, with their compliance departmentsnot their communications departmentsleading the way. 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. Study Links Nike, Adidas And Apple To Forced Uighur Labor - Forbes The companies supplied Apple with antennas, cables, and coatings, among other products and services, according to The Information. The enforcement strategy, and how much companies will need to do to satisfy the law, remains to be seen. 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. 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. Importers of record will have a path to overcome that rebuttable presumption by showing that the items are not mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part by forced labor and demonstrating other elements of compliance. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Amazon suppliers must not use forced labor slave, prison, indentured, bonded, or otherwise, its standards read. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS These parties can include companies outside of the XUAR. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act - U.S. Customs and Border Protection 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 . 'Woke' corporations hit for 'bowing to China while snubbing America' as US sanctions Chinese solar firms for Uighur human rights abuses , which revealed a vast network of companies complicit in the use of Uyghur forced labor throughout China. Amazon Accused of Using Suppliers With Ties to Forced Labor U.S. officials said the Labor Department had seen a nearly 70% increase in child labor violations since 2018, including in hazardous occupations. German companies accused of profiting from forced Uighur - euronews Many of these companiesprolifically spoke outagainst racial injustice following the death of George Floyd in May. 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. Task Force Strategy Report and Potential for Additional Parties Subject to Prohibitions The Act requires CBP to apply the rebuttable presumption unless the importer can overcome the presumption of forced labor by establishing, by clear and convincing evidence, that the good, ware, article, or merchandise was not mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part by forced labor. 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). Apple spokesman Josh Rosenstock said the company has confirmed that Lens Technology has not received any labor transfers of Uighur workers from Xinjiang. Dont pretend theres not a problem in America. 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. WASHINGTON Nike and Coca-Cola are among the major companies and business groups lobbying Congress to weaken a bill that would ban imported goods made with forced labor in China's Xinjiang. The companies were listed over human rights violations and abuses of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities, according to a US government filing on Wednesday. A number of countries have also imposed sanctions on Xinjiang, with the US moving ban imports from Xinjiang altogether in December. Some Uighurs have allegedly been placed in these factories straight from the internment camps in Xinjiang, where experts estimate more than 1.5 million members of ethnic minorities are being held. Major international clothing brands like L.L. Hefei Bitland Information Technology Co. Ltd. Hoshine Silicon Industry (Shanshan) Co., Ltd., and Subsidiaries. Companies in the labor transfer program are often in labor-intensive industries, so they asked: is the growing and labor-intensive P.P.E. For the most up-to-date information on CBPs UFLPA implementation, please see our website at https://www.cbp.gov/trade/forced-labor/UFLPA. They include. These legal developments also dovetail with broader ESG and corporate responsibility trends. 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. Share this article with your friends, and let them know which companies to avoid as well. CBP has released importer guidance to assist the trade community in preparing for the implementation of the UFLPA rebuttable presumption that goes into effect on June 21, 2022. These workers were . I was born in a re-education camp at the height of China's infamous Cultural Revolution. He said Apple earlier this year ensured . The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) was signed into law by President Biden on December 23, 2021. Thus, investment in supply chain due diligence, compliance and contractual requirements for commercial partners may emerge as a key development in 2022. (LockA locked padlock) The report estimates that more than 80,000 Uighurs were transferred to work in factories across China between 2017 and 2019. This action targets these entities ability to access commodities, software, and technology subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and is part of a U.S. Government-wide effort to take strong action against Chinas ongoing campaign of repression against Muslim minority groups in the XUAR. An official website of the United States government. The year 2021 brought supply chain challenges to the center of the national conversation. Thereport listedpopular 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. Companies doing business in China should consider the following to prepare for the new requirements. The ASPI found that 27 factories across nine Chinese provinces used the labor of Uyghurs forcibly transferred from Chinese-occupied East Turkestan since 2017. 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. Here, they are paid at most 15 cents a day to pick cotton. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Enforcement Priorities Apple, Foxconn, and 81 others are accused of using Uighur forced 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. 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. Looking for the presence of forced labor is part of every supplier assessment we conduct, including surprise audits, spokesman Josh Rosenstock told Apple. . EXCLUSIVE US electronics firm struck deal to transport and - Reuters Apple's longtime supplier accused of using forced labor in China 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. 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? In January 2021, CBP issued a region-wide ban on all XUAR-produced cotton and tomato products, irrespective of the associated company. Uyghurs for sale | Australian Strategic Policy Institute | ASPI UFLPA Entity List | Homeland Security - DHS Meet The Company Bridging Synthetic Biology Innovation With The World Of Insurance To Ensure Safe Food Production, Theres A New Species Of Magic Mushroom - Named After Paul Stamets, Absci Takes Its Generative AI Antibody Design Platform To Europe, Meet The Startup Thats Putting Ice Factories In Shipping Containers For Winn-Dixie Supermarkets. Put On The Gas. Numerous sources, including government documents, show that transferred workers are assigned minders and have limited freedom of movement.. 1307, CBP is authorized to issue WROs to ban imports on goods and merchandise produced wholly or in part from forced or indentured labor, including child labor or convict labor. 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 paper also described government incentives such as tax breaks and subsidies for Chinese companies to take Uighurs. 1307) to prevent the importation into the United States of goods mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in the Peoples Republic of China. This will involve opportunities for public comment and ultimately a report to Congressional committees by June 21, 2022 (the Task Force Strategy Report).