US sounds warning to American businesses on China forced labour as shipment denials surge
- First half of 2023 sees US$587 million worth of goods denied entry to the US, more than doubling the figure for the second half of 2022
- Data released as US report alleges China sought ‘coerced repatriation and internment of religious and ethnic minorities living abroad’
The US State Department reiterated a warning to American businesses about the risks of violating a new law that seeks to combat alleged forced labour in China, including new data showing a surge in shipments stopped at the US border.
Some US$587 million worth of goods were denied entry in the first half of 2023, up from US$206 million in the second half of 2022, according to the report.
The biggest surge in denials was in the apparel-and-footwear category, representing about three quarters of the first-half 2023 total.
The addendum identified organisations that employ Uygurs under state-backed “poverty alleviation” programmes. It also pinpointed international businesses sourcing materials from the region.
Additionally, the Chinese government has reportedly coerced inmates into building new prison facilities and potentially subjecting them to forced labour in industries ranging from coal and uranium mining to asbestos extraction and fertiliser production, according to the document.
The addendum is another step by the US government to strengthen the application of the Uygur Forced Labour Prevention Act, also known as the UFLPA.
China’s top political adviser urges support for Xinjiang development
The list includes exporters of cotton, tomatoes, and polysilicon, a material used in the solar panel industry, among others.
The law has put many American businesses at odds with lawmakers who prioritise human rights concerns in China.
In 2020, the US Chamber of Commerce, a lobbying group, sent a letter to the US House of Representatives stating it “strongly” condemned human rights abuses in China, including the treatment of ethnic Uygurs.
Hearing of Chinese repression abroad, US lawmakers call for tougher response
However, the chamber in its letter argued that the UFPLA could be “ineffective” and potentially harm efforts to tackle violations.
In response, Chris Smith, US Republican representative of New Jersey, and Marco Rubio, US Republican senator of Florida – ranking members of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and co-authors of the UFLPA – issued a statement accusing businesses of trying to “water down” the act.
The two pledged to “ensure that the law is fully and rigorously implemented”.
Beyond Xinjiang, the Chinese government was also accused of using forced labour on other religious minorities across different provinces.
Xinjiang party chief meets UN group in bid to counter forced labour claims
The report alleged that China sought the “coerced repatriation and internment of religious and ethnic minorities living abroad” through methods of transnational repression, including surveillance, harassment and threats against them and their families.
The Chinese embassy in Washington on Tuesday called the State Department’s warning “vicious lies concocted by anti-China forces”.
“The US side keeps using Xinjiang-related issues to create rumours and make trouble,” embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said.
“It is engaging in political manipulation and economic coercion, and seeking to undermine Xinjiang’s prosperity and stability and contain China’s development under the pretext of human rights.
“Xinjiang-related issues are not human rights issues at all, but in essence about countering violent terrorism and separatism,” he added.
Additional reporting by Robert Delaney
