US Blocks Imports From 26 More Chinese Companies Under UFLPA
The United States has blocked imports from 26 Chinese cotton traders or warehouse facilities as part of its effort to eliminate goods made with the forced labour of Uyghur minorities from the US supply chain.
The companies are latest additions to Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) entity list which restricts import of goods tied to what the US has characterised as genocide of minorities in China’s Xinjiang.
“US officials believe the Chinese have established labour camps for Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups in China’s western Xinjiang region. However, Beijing denies any abuses,” Reuters reported.
“Many of the cotton companies listed are based outside of Xinjiang but source their cotton from the region,” the US Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
“Adding these companies to entity list will help companies conduct due diligence so that, together, we can keep the products of forced labour out,” Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security said.
“The so-called ‘UFLPA’ is just an instrument of a few U.S. politicians to disrupt stability in Xinjiang and contain China’s development,” a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington said.
According to department of Homeland Security, Washington has restricted imports from 65 entities since the UFLPA law was passed in 2021.
A few lawmakers want the Homeland Security to blacklist Chinese companies also in the polysilicon, aluminum, PVC and rayon industries and any other company making goods for the US market with inputs sourced from Xinjiang.
