US bars imports from 3 more Chinese companies over Uyghur forced labor

The U.S. government announced on Friday that it has imposed import restrictions on three additional Chinese companies, COFCO Sugar Holding among them, due to forced labour practices involving Uyghurs and other minorities in China.

According to a Federal Register publication, the businesses—which manufacture anything from yarn to network transformers to sugar—will be included to the Ugyhur Forced Labour Prevention Act Entity List. Imports of products connected to what the US government has described as a continuing genocide against minorities in China’s Xinjiang province are prohibited by the list.

The list will now have thirty companies after the addition of Anhui Xinya New Materials, Sichuan Jingweida Technology Group, and COFCO Sugar Holding.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, since June 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has examined over 6,000 cargo valued at over $2 billion as a result of the Ugyhur Forced Labour Protection Act, which was enacted in 2021. Act prohibits the admission of goods from listed firms unless they can demonstrate that no forced labour was used in their production.

“The Department of Homeland Security remains committed to eradicating the use of forced labor and holding organizations accountable for their human rights abuses,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.

In China’s western Xinjiang region, Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups are allegedly housed in labour camps, according to U.S. officials. Beijing disputes any wrongdoing.

According to the United States, the three businesses that were added to the list collaborated with government initiatives to hire persecuted minorities at their establishments.

COFCO Sugar is a prominent sugar merchant in China, specialising in the production and export of tomato paste. It is a member of the COFCO Group and has its headquarters in Xinjiang.

Sichuan Province’s Jingweida Technology manufactures a variety of electronics, including radio frequency and network filters.

Fibre yarns and other textiles are produced by Anhui Xinya New Materials.

(With agency inputs)