FACT SHEET: New U.S. Government Actions on Forced Labor in Xinjiang - The White House
At the recent G7 Summit in Cornwall, United Kingdom, the world’s leading democracies stood united against forced labor, including in Xinjiang, and committed to ensure global supply chains are free from the use of forced labor. The United States is translating these commitments into action. The Biden-Harris administration is taking additional steps to hold those who engage in forced labor accountable and ensure that we continue to remove goods made with forced labor from our supply chains through actions by the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Labor.
These actions demonstrate our commitment to imposing additional costs on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for engaging in cruel and inhumane forced labor practices and ensuring that Beijing plays by the rules of fair trade as part of the rules-based international order. The United States believes that state-sponsored forced labor in Xinjiang is both an affront to human dignity and an example of the PRC’s unfair economic practices. The PRC’s use of forced labor in Xinjiang is an integral part of its systematic abuses against the Uyghur population and other ethnic and religious minority groups, and addressing these abuses will remain a high priority for the Biden-Harris administration. The systematic abuses go beyond forced labor to include sexual violence and large-scale forced detentions, and the PRC continues to commit genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.
The PRC’s forced labor practices run counter to our values as a nation and expose American consumers to unethical practices. They also leave American businesses and workers to compete on an uneven playing field by allowing firms to gain advantage over their competitors by exploiting workers and artificially suppressing wages. The United States will not tolerate forced labor in our supply chains and will continue to stand up for our values and for U.S. workers and businesses. This includes maintaining support for the development of transparent and diverse clean energy supply chains at home free of forced labor — and supporting President Biden’s commitment to bold climate action, the domestic solar industry, and the jobs this vital industry creates.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Issues Withhold Release Order (WRO): CBP has issued a WRO on silica-based products made by Hoshine Silicon Industry Co., Ltd., a company located in Xinjiang, and its subsidiaries. This WRO is based on information reasonably indicating that Hoshine used forced labor to manufacture silica-based products. As a result, personnel at all U.S. ports of entry have been instructed to immediately begin detaining shipments that contain silica-based products made by Hoshine or materials and goods derived from or produced using those silica-based products. CBP investigates allegations of forced labor in U.S. supply chains and will continue investigating allegations in the polysilicon industry and other industries in Xinjiang and elsewhere.
CBP’s forced labor investigations have produced six Withhold Release Orders in Fiscal Year 2021, including one on cotton and tomato products from the Xinjiang region, another on cotton products originating from the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), and one on the Dalian Ocean Fishing Co., Ltd. As demonstrated by the Dalian WRO, the United States is also taking action to combat the PRC’s use of forced labor beyond Xinjiang – including in the seafood industry. Currently, 35 of 49 active WROs are on goods from the PRC, and 11 WROs are on goods made by forced labor from Xinjiang.
Department of Commerce Updates its Entity List: The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security added to the Entity List five PRC entities: Hoshine Silicon Industry (Shanshan); Xinjiang Daqo New Energy; Xinjiang East Hope Nonferrous Metals; Xinjiang GCL New Energy Material Technology, and XPCC— for participating in the practice of, accepting, or utilizing forced labor in Xinjiang and contributing to human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other minority groups in Xinjiang. This action, which follows the 48 PRC entities previously added to the Entity List for their connections to human rights abuses in Xinjiang, restricts the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of commodities, software, and technology subject to the Export Administration Regulations where such entities are a party to the transactions (e.g., end-user, purchaser, intermediate or ultimate consignee).
Department of Labor Updates the “List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor”: The Department of Labor has published a Federal Register Notice updating its “List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor,” to include polysilicon produced with forced labor in the PRC. Every two years, the Department of Labor publishes an updated list of goods produced by child labor or forced labor in violation of international standards. This update is the first time a good has been added outside of that two-year cycle, highlighting its strong response to the severity of the ongoing human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other minority groups in Xinjiang. The report currently includes other products from the PRC that have links to forced labor in Xinjiang or by Uyghur workers transferred to other parts of the PRC, including cotton, garments, footwear, electronics, gloves, hair products, textiles, thread/yarn, and tomato products________________________________________
US Department of Labor Adds Polysilicon from China to 'List of Goods produced by Child Labor' - U.S. Department of Labor
Addition addresses abuses connected to China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
WASHINGTON, DC – Every two years, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs publishes its “List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor” that the bureau has reason to believe are produced by child labor or forced labor in violation of international standards, as directed by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 and subsequent reauthorizations.
For the first time outside of that two-year cycle, the department has published a Federal Register Notice updating the list to include polysilicon produced with forced labor in China. Manufacturers use polysilicon predominantly in the production of solar panels.
This extraordinary measure is a response to the severity of the ongoing human rights abuses connected to the country’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where conditions of forced labor following coercion or detention in the so called “re-education camps” are ongoing. The measure also supports a broader effort by the U.S. government to address China’s state-sponsored forced labor and broader human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other minority groups in Xinjiang.
“The world and the American people cannot abide the presence of goods made under the exploitative conditions experienced by Uyghur and other ethnic minority groups in its global supply chains,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “The Bureau of International Labor Affairs is taking this historic step to raise awareness of this injustice, and we will continue to support additional U.S. government efforts to tackle it.”
The Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection also today issued a Withhold Release Order prohibiting silica-based products from Hoshine Silicon Industry Co. Ltd in Xinjiang from entering the U.S. market. In addition, the Department of Commerce has updated its Entity List with new entities connected to forced labor and polysilicon production in Xinjiang, demonstrating the whole-of-government effort to remove goods made with forced labor from global supply chains.
The ninth edition of the department’s list, published Sept. 30, 2020, contained other products from China that have links to forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region or by Uyghur workers transferred to other parts of China: cotton, garments, footwear, electronics, gloves, hair products, textiles, thread/yarn and tomato products.
With today’s announcement of the update to the ninth edition, the list now includes 156 goods from 77 countries.
See also: Against their Will
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Federal Register Notices:
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Certain Steel Nails From the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Continuation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders
• Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: Standard Steel Welded Wire Mesh From Mexico: Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: 9:46 AM 6/24/2021Certain Steel Nails From the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review and Final Determination of No Shipments; 2018-2019
• Certain Softwood Lumber Products From Canada: Notice of Final Results of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review
• Finished Carbon Steel Flanges From India: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review and Final Determination of No Shipments; 2018-2019
• Prestressed Concrete Steel Wire Strand From Thailand: Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2020
• Application(s) for Duty-Free Entry of Scientific Instruments: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, et al.; Application(s) for Duty-Free Entry of Scientific Instruments
• Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: Silicon Metal From Malaysia: Final Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value
• Seamless Refined Copper Pipe and Tube From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Final Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Final Negative Determination of Critical Circumstances
• Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Polyester Textured Yarn From Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam; Scheduling of the Final Phase of Antidumping Duty Investigations
• Certain Welded Line Pipe From Korea and Turkey
• Thermal Paper From Germany, Japan, Korea, and Spain; Notice of Correction Concerning Scheduling of Record Closing and Final Comments
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Safety Standard for Infant Sleep Products - Consumer Product Safety Commission
AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is issuing this final rule establishing a safety standard for infant sleep products, which are products marketed or intended to provide a sleeping accommodation for an infant up to 5 months of age, and that are not subject to any of CPSC’s mandatory standards for infant sleep. CPSC is also finalizing an amendment to its regulations regarding third party conformity assessment bodies, to include the safety standard for infant sleep products in the list of notices of requirements (NORs) and an amendment to the consumer registration rule, to identify infant sleep products as a durable infant or toddler product subject to consumer registration requirements, as a subcategory of bassinets and cradles.
DATES: This rule is effective June 23, 2022. The incorporation by reference of the publication listed in this rule is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of June 23, 2022.
See Federal Register Notice for Further Information
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CBP at JFK Seizes Counterfeit Rolex Watches - U.S. Customs & Border Protection
JAMAICA, N.Y. — U. S. Customs and Border Protection officers and import specialists made a timely seizure of counterfeit Rolex watches at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
On June 15, CBP officers inspecting a shipment from Hong Kong discovered and seized 19 Rolex watches that would have been worth an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $285,000 had they been genuine. CBP officers referred all seizure information, including photographs, to CBP import specialists to verify the authenticity of the merchandise and to confirm possible trademark violations.
The Consumer Products and Mass Merchandise Center of Excellence and Expertise (CEE) determined the entire shipment of 19 Rolex watches was counterfeit. The shipment was seized, keeping these illicit goods off our streets and the proceeds of their sale out of the hands of the illicit traders.
“Every day CBP officers and import specialists protect the American public and its economy,” said Marty Raybon, Acting Director of CBP’s New York Field Office. “This most recent interception of counterfeit watches demonstrates the ongoing vigilance and commitment to our Agency’s mission by our CBP officers and import specialists.”
This seizure is under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
CBP protects businesses and consumers every day through an aggressive Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement program, and IPR enforcement is a CBP Priority Trade Issue. In Fiscal Year 2020, CBP personnel nationwide seized 26,503 shipments containing counterfeit goods that would have been worth nearly $1.3 billion had they been genuine.
The theft of intellectual property and the trade in substandard and often dangerous goods threaten America’s innovation economy and consumer health and safety. Further, they generate proceeds that fund criminal activities and organized crime.
Consumers can take simple steps to protect themselves and their families from counterfeit goods:
• Purchase goods directly from the trademark holder or from authorized retailers.
• When shopping online, read seller reviews and check for a working U.S. phone number and address that can be used to contact the seller.
• Review CBP’s E-Commerce Counterfeit Awareness Guide for Consumers.
• Remember that if the price of a product seems too good to be true, it probably is.
For more information about the risks associated with purchasing counterfeit goods, visit CBP’s Fake Goods, Real Dangers website and read CBP’s E-Commerce Awareness Guide. Additional tips for protecting your family from counterfeit goods are available at StopFakes.gov.
If you have any information regarding suspected fraud or illegal trade activity, please contact CBP through the e-Allegations Online Trade Violations Reporting System or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT. IPR violations can also be reported to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center at https://www.iprcenter.gov/referral/ or by telephone at 1-866-IPR-2060.
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OTEXA; Announcements - U.S. International Trade Administration
• [6/21/21] The European Union (EU) and the United States agree on the mutual suspension for five years of the tariffs related to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Aircraft disputes . In a separate agreement, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States will also suspend the tariffs related to the aircraft disputes. See the EU list of $4 billion of U.S. products subject to retaliatory tariffs, including a 25-percent levy on travel goods and cotton. See 85 FR 50866 for EU products subject to U.S. tariffs.
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Dulles CBP Silences 85 Guitars Out of Tune with U.S. Laws - U.S. Customs & Border Protection
STERLING, Va. – The reviews are in and critics are raving about the recent encore performance by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Washington Dulles International Airport. Just five months after seizing 35 counterfeit guitars, CBP officers recently picked another 85 counterfeit guitars to the tune of about $260,000, if the guitars were authentic.
CBP officers inspected and detained the latest suspected counterfeit cache from China on March 31. Officers consulted with CBP’s Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising experts at the agency’s Centers for Excellence and Expertise who worked with trademark holders and confirmed on May 28 that the guitars indeed violated guitar manufacturers’ trademark protections. Officers completed the seizure on June 9.
The collection consisted mostly of Gibson models (72 guitars), but also included models from CF Martin, Fender, Kramer and Taylor. CBP officers silenced 13 acoustic guitars among the lot. The highest value model was a Les Paul ax supposedly autographed by Guns and Roses guitarist Slash appraised at $8,000, if authentic. Other guitars bore autographs from renowned guitarist Les Paul and AC/DC’s Angus Young.
The entire lot of guitars would have had a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $258,707 if they were authentic.
The guitars were destined to addresses in 31 states, with California as lead with 10 guitars. Locally, four were destined to Virginia, three each to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, two to West Virginia, and one to Delaware.
This is CBP’s second significant seizure this year of counterfeit guitars at Dulles Airport. During January, CBP officers seized 36 counterfeit guitars in another shipment from China that had an appraised MSRP of nearly $160,000.
“The international trade in counterfeit and pirated goods threatens the competitiveness of American businesses and the livelihoods of U.S. workers while funding criminal activity,” said Keith Fleming, CBP’s Acting Director of Field Operations in Baltimore. “More importantly, counterfeit goods pose a serious health and safety risk to American consumers. Customs and Border Protection, along with our law enforcement and consumer safety partners, remain committed to making it difficult and costly for unscrupulous vendors to take advantage of unsuspecting American consumers.”
CBP encourages consumers to protect themselves and their families by always purchasing safe, authentic goods from reputable vendors.
CBP protects businesses and consumers every day through an aggressive Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement program. Importation of counterfeit merchandise can cause significant revenue loss, damage the U.S. economy, and threaten the health and safety of the American people.
On a typical day in 2020, CBP officers seized $3.6 million worth of products with Intellectual Property Rights violations. Learn more about what CBP did during "A Typical Day" in 2020.
Read CBP’s Intellectual Property Seizure Report for Fiscal Year 2019 for more IPR stats and analysis. Fiscal Year 2019 is CBP’s most current completed IPR report.
CBP's border security mission is led at ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations. Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders. Learn more about CBP at www.CBP.gov.
Follow the Director of CBP’s Baltimore Field Office on Twitter at @DFOBaltimore and on Instagram at @dfobaltimore for breaking news, current events, human-interest stories and photos.