CBP continues to lead U.S. government efforts to eliminate goods from the supply chain made with forced labor from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China (XUAR), one year after the agency began implementing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
“American consumers don’t want goods that cost another human’s life or liberty. As we have diligently worked to implement the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevent Act over the past year, one of the greatest measures of success is an observable shift by in supply chain practices to avoid sourcing from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,” said Senior Official Performing Duties of CBP Commissioner Troy A. Miller. “CBP remains committed to eliminating forced labor from supply chains and shining a spotlight on global human rights, to ensure that workers around the world are treated with dignity.”
Under the leadership of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, CBP has played a critical role in the first year of implementation and engagement.
CBP has stopped nearly 4,300 shipments subject to UFLPA review or enforcement actions valued at over $1.3 billion, added new requirements and increased benefits for Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism members.
- CBP has launched an interactive public dashboard sharing regularly updated statistics on UFLPA enforcement efforts.
- CBP has conducted more than 300 engagements with thousands of industry members, non-governmental organizations, Congress, and the media to provide information and resources necessary to comply with the law.
Moving into the second year of UFLPA enforcement, CBP will continue to collaborate with trade associations, non-governmental organizations, U.S. federal agencies, and foreign governments to globally combat forced labor and provide technical assistance to like-minded international partners. The agency will also support the Department of Homeland Security and the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to expand the UFLPA Entity List referenced in a recent DHS press release by pursuing a more robust and effective in-depth research, analysis, review and vetting of potential entities.
“While we’re proud of the work we’ve done this past year, there is still a lot left to do,” said CBP Office of Trade Executive Assistant Commissioner AnnMarie R. Highsmith. “Our laws aren’t in place just to keep these goods out of the U.S. They exist to ensure that no good is ever made with forced labor in the first place. We have a long way to go to reach that reality, and you can bet that this will be a top priority for CBP until we do.”
The UFLPA, passed by Congress in December 2021, strengthens CBP’s ability to prohibit goods made with forced labor from entering the United States commerce. The law presumes that goods mined, manufactured, or produced wholly or in part in the XUAR or by entities on the UFLPA Entities List use forced labor and are therefore prohibited entry into the United States under Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930.
Visit CBP’s website for more information on the agency’s UFLPA enforcement work.
