Bipartisan Bill Blocking Imports Made With Uyghur Forced Labor in Xinjiang Signed Into Law

What’s the story?

• A bipartisan bill to crack down on the use of forced labor from Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities who are persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party in Xinjiang was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Thursday.
• The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act passed the House on a voice vote and then cleared the Senate by unanimous consent. It sanctions foreign individuals and companies involved with the use of forced labor in Xinjiang and bans all imports from the region through a presumption that products made in part or in whole are tainted by forced labor. The ban takes effect in 180 days.
• Businesses can seek exemptions from the import ban by providing U.S. Customs and Border Protection with “clear and convincing evidence” that their supply chains are free of forced labor. Enforcement of the import ban will be coordinated with Canada and Mexico under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
• While it ultimately garnered broad bipartisan support, the legislation stalled during the last session of Congress with the House and Senate unable to reach an agreement amid a lobbying push against the bill, including Apple, Coca-Cola, and Nike, among others. Victoria’s Secret, Patagonia, and L.L. Bean have all said they’re reworking their supply chains after being named in a report as using Chinese cotton from Xinjiang in their products. Intel apologized in China on Thursday for sending a letter to its suppliers asking them to not use labor or products from Xinjiang
• Similar issues arose in the current Congress, with the Biden administration opposed to initial drafts of the bill reportedly due to concerns it would block imports of polysilicon, which is material used inside most solar panels, and potentially make it more difficult to meet climate goals. The Washington Post reported that Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry told lawmakers it would take five to 10 years to move the global supply chain for solar panels away from Xinjiang.
• The bill’s lead sponsors were Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in the Senate, and Reps. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ) in the House. Rubio praised the bill’s enactment in a statement:

“This is the most important and impactful action taken thus far by the United States to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for their use of slave labor. It will fundamentally change our relationship with Beijing. This law should also ensure that Americans no longer unknowingly buy goods made by slaves in China. I look forward to working with the Biden Administration and my colleagues to ensure the new law is implemented correctly and enforced properly.”

• President Joe Biden signed the bill in the Oval Office without a formal signing ceremony and press in attendance. Biden tweeted, “The United States will continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure supply chains are free from the use of forced labor — including from Xinjiang and other parts of China.”

RELATED READING

• Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act
• U.S., Australia, Britain, and Canada Announce Diplomatic Boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics (12/8/21)
• Should the U.S. Ban All Solar Panels Made in China With Forced Labor From Uyghur Muslims? (11/2/21)
• U.S. Declares China is Committing ‘Genocide’ Against Uyghur Muslims (1/21/21)

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: Radio Free Asia / Fair Use)