The Biden administration announced on Thursday that it will be blocking imports from 26 Chinese textile companies due to their alleged ties to slave labor in the country’s Xinjiang region.
The companies have been added to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List (UFLPA), which records the names of businesses that are suspected of utilizing forced labor of the Uyghur minority in China. The State Department believes that more than 1 million Uyghurs have been detained by China as of 2023, where they have been subjected to various human rights abuses, with many being forced to undergo “re-education” and internment. (RELATED: Biden Jacks Up Tariffs On Chinese Electric Vehicles, Critical Minerals)
“The Department of Homeland Security will not tolerate forced labor in our nation’s supply chains,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in an announcement. “Today’s announcement strengthens our enforcement of the UFLPA and helps responsible companies conduct due diligence so that, together, we can keep the products of forced labor out of our country. We will continue to execute on our textile enforcement strategy and hold the PRC accountable for their exploitation and abuse of the Uyghur people.”
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The new additions to the list focus on companies that manufacture cotton outside of the Xinjiang region but source their cotton inside of it, exposing themselves to possible forced labor, according to the announcement. The restrictions take effect on Friday and bring the total number of restricted entities on the FLETF list to 65.
The restrictions are part of a broader effort to limit U.S. access to goods produced in the Xinjiang region following the bipartisan passage of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Between 2020 and 2021, 31% of the world’s cotton was produced in the Xinjiang region.
“We have shown again through today’s enforcement actions that the United States is taking action to prevent forced labor in U.S. supply chains,” Robert Silvers, DHS undersecretary for policy, said in the announcement. “Companies must conduct due diligence and know where their products are coming from. The Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force will continue to designate entities known to violate our laws, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will continue its vigilant enforcement at our ports.”
The Biden administration placed new tariffs on certain Chinese goods on Tuesday, including many associated with the president’s green agenda. Levies on Chinese electric vehicles were quadrupled to 100%, semiconductors were doubled to 50% and tariffs on many key minerals were also hiked.
DHS deferred the Daily Caller News Foundation to the press release.
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