The United States has expanded its list of companies barred from importing goods into the country due to alleged involvement in forced labour practices associated with the Uygur population in China, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
According to a notice published online by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on June 11, 2024, the latest additions include Dongguan Oasis Shoes Co, a shoe manufacturer; Xinjiang Shenhuo Coal and Electricity Co, a producer of electrolytic aluminium; and Shandong Meijia Group Co, also known as Rizhao Meijia Group, a food processing company.
This action underscores the US government's ongoing commitment to addressing human rights abuses and labour exploitation in global supply chains. The inclusion of these firms reflects heightened scrutiny and enforcement against entities purportedly benefiting from forced labour practices in the Xinjiang region, where widespread allegations of human rights violations have drawn international condemnation.
In a separate statement, DHS said, “Through these actions, DHS is increasing its focus on seafood, aluminium, and shoes – sectors that play an important role in Xinjiang’s economy – and ensuring goods made with forced labour are kept out of the US market.”
Numerous companies have been added to the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act Entity List, which restricts the import of goods linked to what the US government has described as an ongoing genocide of minorities in China’s western Xinjiang region.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy, described the latest US move as “Nothing but an egregious lie propagated by anti-China forces and a tool for US politicians to destabilise Xinjiang and contain China’s development.”
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