US Blocks Customs Clearance of Suspected Chinese Exports Related to Forced Labor

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. customs authorities have blocked the clearance of five imported products from China amid allegations that they were produced using forced labor.

On the 14th (local time), the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that it had issued Withhold Release Orders (WRO) on five imported products exported from China.

If it is not proven that these products were not produced by forced labor, they will be sent back to the country of origin.

The United States has prohibited the distribution of products made by forced labor since the 1930s. The CBP can impose import bans without clear evidence if there is reasonable belief that the imported goods were produced by forced labor.

The U.S. claims that China has established re-education camps in the Xinjiang region and forcibly detained over one million Muslim ethnic minorities. The CBP specified that the goods blocked from clearance this time were produced through forced labor in forced detention centers established within the Xinjiang area.

Mark Morgan, Acting Director of CBP, emphasized, "The Trump administration will prevent harm to American companies that respect human rights and the rule of law, while not allowing foreign companies to subject workers to forced labor."

He stressed, "Today's Withhold Release Orders send a clear message to the international community that illegal, inhumane, and exploitative forced labor practices will not be tolerated in the U.S. supply chain."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also explained the background of this measure, saying, "The Trump administration is tracking human rights abuses by the Chinese central government against ethnic minorities, including the Uyghurs."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.