Any dollar that goes to these brands is a dollar that goes into the factories profiting off of Uyghur forced labor. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), hereafter referred to as the Act, was signed into law by President Biden on December 23, 2021. They are grouped into different categories and listed below. Lenovo also pointed to a 2018 audit by the Reliable Business Alliance in which OFILM scored very well. 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. The programs target the countrys Muslim minority population, particularly Uyghurs living in Xinjiang. ), Chinas forced work programs have been getting more attention over the past year, with new reports speaking to the growing scope of Chinas oppressive practices in Xinjiang. 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. A lock ( The Act, codified under 22 U.S.C. A Chinese-dominated mining company has procured millions of dollars in American subsidies to extract lithium in the United States - but, given a dearth of U.S. processing capacity, the mineral is likely to be sent to China with no guarantee that the end product would return as . Two other companies, GoerTek and. report from the Tech Transparency Project, including internment camps, constant surveillance, mass sterilization, and forced labor, Tesla faced criticism for opening a showroom in the Xinjiang region, Mark Zuckerberg says Meta now has a team building AI tools and personas, Whoops! The UFLPA now would effectively apply the presumption of forced labor to all goods made in the XUAR without the need for CBP to issue WROs. This page was not helpful because the content, Strategy to Prevent the Importation of Goods Mined, Produced, or Manufactured with Forced Labor in the Peoples Republic of China, Notice on the Addition of Entities to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List. It establishes a rebuttable presumption that the importation of any goods, wares, articles, and merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China, or produced by certain entities, is prohibited by Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 and that such goods, wares, articles, and merchandise are not entitled to entry to the United States. Amazon is allegedly employing suppliers in China with links to forced labor, according to a report from the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), a research group owned by the nonprofit watchdog organization Campaign for Accountability (via NBC News). 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. Chinas population of Uyghurs, the countrys Muslim ethnic minority, is largely concentrated in the Xinjiang region of China. For more information, visitwww.bis.doc.gov. In addition, CBP is subject to reporting requirements that likely will discourage easy granting of exceptions. Products made with such labor will be covered by the laws rebuttable presumption, even if they are produced in other regions of China. DHSs New Criminal Enforcement Initiative to Prosecute Corporations for Forced Labor, Slavery in Supply Chains: CBP Petitions Raise New Forced Labor Compliance Risks, Recent DOJ Action Creates Uncertainty for Information-Sharing Programs, NLRB Invalidates Common Confidentiality and Non-Disparagement Clauses in Severance Agreements, U.S. Attorneys Offices Adopt New Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy, Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). A lock This report estimates that more than 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred out of Xinjiang to work in factories across China between 2017 and 2019, and some of them were sent directly from detention camps, a summary of the report said. 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. Primark is an Irish fast-fashion retailer with headquarters in Dublin, also operating in the United States. Whenever we find or receive proof of forced labor, we take action.. 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. The entities to be added to the Entity List in connection with participating in the practice of, accepting, or utilizing forced labor involving Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups in the XUAR are: Hoshine Silicon Industry (Shanshan) Co., Ltd. Xinjiang Daqo New Energy Co., Ltd. Xinjiang East Hope Nonferrous Metals Co., Ltd. The US Department of Commerce said the . 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. In January, the Trump administration said China was committed genocide against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.. The latest report titled Uyghurs For Sale, from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, reveals a vast network of companies complicit in the mass detention of Uyghurs and other Turkic people. The Tech Transparency Projectsaid a glass supplier was using forced labor in December; Apple said it had seen no evidence of forced labor. All work must be voluntary, and workers must be free to leave work and terminate their employment or other work status with reasonable notice.. Major solar companies including GCL-Poly, East Hope Group, Daqo New Energy, Xinte Energy and Jinko Solar are named in the report as bearing signs of using some forced labor, according to. There are watchtowers with cameras pointed in all directions and high barbed wire fences atop the walls. (Photo by Anna Fifield/The Washington Post via Getty Images). While some industries may have experience with conflict minerals, blood diamonds or child labor, not all compliance and ethics programs are designed to look at supply chain risks. Several Apple suppliers may have used forced labor in China, according to The Information. We have not identified additional exporters at this time but will continue to investigate and gather information about additional relevant entities. Fila LL Bean Hugo Boss Lacoste Li-Ning The North Face Skechers Tommy Hilfiger Victoria's Secret Zara Zegna Anta Jansport Clothing Brands Versace Jimmy Choo Michael Kors Chanel Costco Hanes Hermes Gucci Balenciaga Yves Saint Laurent Although state media are claiming Uighurs are being compensated for their work, the ASPI researchersfound they live in segregated dormitories, are unable to go home, and they undergo Mandarin and ideological training outside working hours, similarly to Uighurs in the internment camps. Amazon complies with the laws and regulations in all jurisdictions in which it operates, and expects suppliers to adhere to our Supply Chain Standards, Amazon spokesperson Erika Reynoso said in a statement to The Verge. 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. Read the FLETF'sStrategy to Prevent the Importation of Goods Mined, Produced, or Manufactured with Forced Labor in the Peoples Republic of China. I understand that in some of these poor countries it may not be clear who may be violating human rights in some way but there should be minimum due diligence standards. Xinjiang workers have also been placed in factories that are part of Apples supply chains, including a plant in Guangzhou visited by Apple CEO Tim Cook in December 2017. Many companies will require advance planning to assess the business and legal risks posed to their supply chains by these rule changes, and develop appropriate compliance and due diligence mechanisms. Under conditions that strongly suggest forced labour, Uyghurs are working in factories that are in the supply chains of at least 82 well-known global brands in the technology, clothing and automotive sectors, including Apple, BMW, Gap, Huawei, Nike, Samsung, Sony and Volkswagen. The Task Force Strategy Report will identify a list of high-priority sectors for enforcement, which at a minimum must include cotton, tomatoes and polysilicon. He said Apple earlier this year ensured . The period coincides with Chinas campaign ofmass internment of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, which the government says is needed to root out terrorism and separatism. The Save Uyghur Campaign would like to recognize BBC News for the release of The, Who Are the Uyghurs and Why Is China Being Accused of Genocide? BBC News, 21, Background Date of Birth: January 6th, 1987 National Identification Number: 652924198701060014 Chinese Official Name: Alimu, General contact / Media queries info@justiceforall.org, 27 E. Monroe St. #700, Chicago IL 60603, USA, , from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, reveals a vast network of companies complicit in the mass detention of Uyghurs and other Turkic people. However, each company and industry will have unique risks and therefore we may see bespoke risk assessments, supply chain ethical goals and resulting due diligence approaches. Washington - Human rights activists, labor leaders and others urged the White House on Friday to put its weight behind a coming ban on products made with forced labor in the . BuzzFeed News reported finding more than 100 detention facilities located beside factories. As always, our focus is on making sure everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and we will continue doing all we can to protect workers in our supply chain, Rosenstock added. 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. LockA locked padlock For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact, Immigration Expert Says Bidens Immigration Plans Could Provide Amnesty for Millions of People, At Princeton, a Racial Reckoning and a Free Speech Battle. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Abercrombie & Fitch, adidas, Amazon, BMW, Gap, H&M, Inditex, Marks & Spencer, Nike, North Face, Puma, PVH, Samsung and UNIQLO to respond; their responses are provided. Apple . For further inquiries, please contact the UFLPA Entity List Team atFLETF.UFLPA.EntityList@hq.dhs.gov. The ASPI found that 27 factories across nine Chinese provinces used the labor of Uyghurs forcibly transferred from Chinese-occupied East Turkestan since 2017. This cotton is then exported around the world. Many Chinese have called for boycotts,. It will place new requirements on a wide range of industries that rely on labor from Xinjiang, especially apparel, automotive, technology, food & beverage, and solar companies. . That timeline will be exacerbated by the expected announcement of additional prohibited companies on June 21, and the potential delay until that day of guidance from CBP on standards to demonstrate that imports are not connected to forced labor. Hefei Bitland Information Technology Co. Ltd. Hoshine Silicon Industry (Shanshan) Co., Ltd., and Subsidiaries. The TTP found that three Amazon suppliers Luxshare Precision Industry, AcBel Polytech, and Lens Technology have reportedly used forced labor themselves. July 21, 2022 July 20, 2022 RealClearWire. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A number of previous reports have implicated these companies in the past for example, Luxshare and Lens Technology were both linked to forced labor in bombshell reports from The Information and The Washington Post, although those reports pertained to Apples questionable history of suppliers. (Washington, DC) - The United States government should vigorously enforce a new law that aims to prevent imports linked to forced labor by Uyghurs and other persecuted groups in China, Human . A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The tech industry at large relies on suppliers in China, and The Information reports that these companies have also worked with Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Facebook, among others. This enhanced enforcement already is underway. Further complicating the matter are Chinas poverty alleviation and pairing assistance programs, some of which forcibly relocate Uyghur and other minorities as laborers outside of Xinjiang.