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The Biden Administration has added 29 Chinese companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List, marking the most significant expansion yet.
Let’s bring you up to speed: In recent years, China has faced growing accusations from the United States and international human rights groups over the forced labor of Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. Reports claim the government forces individuals into labor-intensive industries like agriculture, textiles, mining, and manufacturing as part of broader measures involving surveillance, indoctrination, and human rights abuses—actions some label as genocide. Critics argue that state-run “poverty alleviation” programs mask forced transfers and exploitative conditions. China denies these claims, framing the programs as vocational training to boost economic development and counter extremism, while accusing detractors of political interference. Despite these denials, global scrutiny has intensified, with concerns about Xinjiang’s role in exporting goods like cotton, tomatoes, and solar panel components.
What’s going on now: In an announcement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed that 29 Chinese companies have been added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List, targeting entities linked to forced labor practices in China’s Xinjiang region. The blacklist, which now includes over 100 companies, covers businesses across a range of industries, including agriculture, mining, and manufacturing.
The newly sanctioned firms include agricultural producers such as Tianjin Tianwei Food Co., Ltd., accused of sourcing tomatoes from Xinjiang, and Xinjiang Zhonghe Co., Ltd., involved in the aluminum industry and implicated in labor transfers orchestrated by local authorities. Also impacted are mining operations like Xinjiang Nonferrous Metals Industry Group Co., Ltd., along with its subsidiaries, which produce critical materials such as lithium and gold. These companies are now barred from exporting goods to the US unless they can provide clear evidence that forced labor was not involved, a high bar set by the UFLPA to ensure compliance and ethical sourcing in global supply chains.
US official reacts: In a statement, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said, “Forced labor is a violation of basic human rights. The Department of Homeland Security has aggressively enforced the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, preventing goods made through forced labor from entering our country, investigating and exposing more than 100 bad actors, and helping American businesses avoid inadvertently profiting from this modern form of slavery. Alongside our government, industry, and civil society partners, the United States is making progress towards the eradication of forced labor while supporting economic fairness, safeguarding human rights, and holding perpetrators accountable.”
Under Secretary Robert Silvers said, “Today’s enforcement actions make it clear — the United States will not tolerate forced labor in the goods entering our markets. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act is a powerful tool in the fight against forced labor, and we are using it to its full potential. We urge companies to take responsibility, know their supply chains, and act ethically.”
