June 22, 2022—A new U.S. law banning products made in Xinjiang, China goes into effect today. It requires U.S. importers to pay close attention to goods that might have been produced by forced labor in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
The list of products impacted includes cotton and textiles, hair products, and silicon. Some of the companies named in the import ban are already on the U.S. sanctions list. Last year, for example, the U.S. government ban solar products made in Xinjiang.
The complaint by the United States is that the products are made with forced labor by the Chinese government of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other minorities.
The region is known, according to a statement by the State Department, for ongoing practices by the Chinese government of “genocide and crimes against humanity.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the department is taking multiple steps to shed light on practices in Xinjiang and promote accountability. They include:
- visa restrictions,
- financial sanctions under Global Magnitsky,
- export controls,
- Withhold Release Orders,
- import restrictions, and
- publishing a multi-agency business advisory.
Law Signed In December Takes Effect
U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act last December.
The bill, H.R. 6256, sailed through the U.S. Congress in 2021, passing the House with a voice vote and clearing the Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
The implementation of the law comes a year after the departments of State, Commerce, Homeland Security, Justice, Labor, Treasury, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative warned Americans of the risks of breaking U.S. law for doing business with anyone connected to abuses in Xinjiang.
Importers Beware
The new law creates a presumption that goods produced at least in part in Xinjiang are to be blocked from entering the United States. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has the final say in determining which goods and merchandise are denied entry. But it is up to U.S. importers and the companies importing goods from abroad to trace supply chains
The agency provides a 17-page guide to U.S. importers. The document instructs them to practice “heightened due diligence” to ensure products haven’t been manufactured with forced labor.
China’s Say On Xinjiang
China defends its government policies in Xinjiang. The government says it defines human rights as alleviating poverty. Last Summer, the government issued a white paper about the region. The government says it is countering extremism and ethnic divides. However, an on-the-ground report by Vice News in 2019 suggests that the government is focused on whitewashing ethnic differences while branding loyalty only to the Chinese Communist Party.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2022 Patti Mohr