Manufacturing Archives

Jan 19, 2021

Additional Restrictions on Imports from Xinjiang

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) is moving aggressively to prevent the importation of Chinese goods suspected of having been made with forced labor. Effective January 13, 2021, CBP, pursuant to a Withhold Release Order, will detain cotton and tomato products produced in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region at all U.S. ports of entry. This Withhold Release Order is intended to enforce federal law prohibiting the importation of products produced in whole or in part by convict, forced, or indentured labor. 19 U.S.C. § 1307. CBP’s Withhold Release Order is the latest in a series of U.S. measures targeting products… Read more

Sep 14, 2020

Slave-Free Business Certification Act

On July 1, 2020, the State Department issued new guidance on the alleged use of Uyghur forced labor in China.[1] This guidance comes in light of the increasing awareness that American companies, either knowingly or unknowingly, use forced labor in their supply chains. But the risks of forced labor use, including legal, ethical, and financial concerns, are not exclusive to supply chains flowing through China—countries in Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East also allegedly use forced labor in export industries.[2] In response to these global risks, Sen. Josh Hawley has introduced the Slave-Free Business Certification Act (the “Act”). If… Read more