3 More Chinese Companies Sanctioned by U.S. for Forced Labor (plus Full UFLPA Entity List)

The Departement of Homeland Security just added three companies in China to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List: COFCO Sugar Holding Co. Ltd, Sichuan Jingweida Technology Group Co., Ltd., and Anhui Xinya New Materials Co., Ltd.

That means, as of yesterday, no goods produced by these companies are allowed to enter the U.S. Importers should always strive to be aware of the business practices of goods producers before working with those companies, particularly in China, where there is a major issue with forced labor.

According to the U.S Department of Labor:

The People’s Republic of China has arbitrarily detained more than one million Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim minorities in China’s far western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It is estimated that 100,000 Uyghurs and other ethnic minority ex-detainees in China may be working in conditions of forced labor following detention in re-education camps. Many more rural poor workers also may experience coercion without detention.

The UFLPS Entity List provides U.S. companies some support in knowing Chinese companies from which not to import goods. It is, in fact, illegal to import goods from companies on the list, as they’ve been identified as companies whose goods, wares, articles, or merchandise has been mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor.

With new companies just getting added onto the list yesterday, it is obvious that not every company in China that utilizes forced labor has already been identified. U.S. importers should always perform due diligence into the foreign companies with which they work to do their utmost to avoid having forced labor inside their supply chains.

I’m sure there are companies who conceal their practices well enough that’s it’s difficult to discover they’re utilizing forced labor. However, the UFLPA Entity List is published for the public, so when it comes to working with Chinese companies already discovered to be using forced labor, U.S. shippers have no excuse.

If you’re thinking about importing from China, here’s the complete UFLPA Entity List (as of December 12th, 2023) for your convenience:

A list of entities in Xinjiang that mine, produce, or manufacture wholly or in part any goods, wares, articles and merchandise with forced labor
Section 2(d)(2)(B)(i)

A list of entities working with the government of Xinjiang to recruit, transport, transfer, harbor or receive forced labor or Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, or members of other persecuted groups out of Xinjiang
Section 2(d)(2)(B)(ii)

A list of facilities and entities, including the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, that source material from Xinjiang or from persons working with the government of Xinjiang or the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps for purposes of the ‘‘poverty alleviation’’ program or the ‘‘pairing-assistance’’ program or any other government-labor scheme that uses forced labor
Section 2(d)(2)(B)(v)