US Adds New Chinese Companies To Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List

In an effort to eliminate goods made with the forced labor of persecuted groups from the US supply chain, Washington restricted imports from three more Chinese companies on Tuesday.

Xinjiang Tianmian Foundation Textile Co Ltd, Xinjiang Tianshan Wool Textile Co Ltd and Xinjiang Zhongtai Group Co Ltd were added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List.

“We do not tolerate companies that … abuse the human rights of individuals in order to make a profit,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.

The three companies are based in Xinjiang – involved in the production and sale of textile products, building materials and wool garments, among other items.

The entities were designated because of their business practices involving Uyghur minorities and other persecuted groups, the US Department of Homeland Security noted.

Concerns Raised Over The Pace And Quality Of Enforcement

A 2021 law prohibits importation of goods produced in Xinjiang or by companies identified on the list unless the importer can prove the products have nothing to do with forced labour.

Some Uyghur groups and activists, however, have raised alarm over the pace and quality of enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act.

Urging the Biden administration to add more entities to the list, Senator Marco Rubio, who helped introduce the law, said: “The slow pace emboldens those profiting from slave labour.”

Although Beijing denies any abuses, US officials believe Chinese authorities have established labour camps for minority groups in the country’s western Xinjiang region.

The State Department has stressed the urgency for businesses to take due diligence measures, including identifying and acting on human rights risks for workers.