The U.S. International Trade Commission is charged with remedying unfair acts in the importation of products into the United States.  While alleged unfair acts at issue before the Commission tend to take the form of intellectual property infringement, the Commission’s mandate is broader, and can be construed to include unfair acts in the form of the importation of articles manufactured using child and forced labor in contravention of customary international law.  A complainant successfully proving such unfair acts is statutorily entitled to an order excluding such articles from further importation, engendering significant business and other benefits for such complainant.

Stopping Traffick has been created by the K&L Gates Ethical Supply Chain Task Force and addresses topics that are important for corporations with complex supply chains by highlighting the specific risks of human trafficking and forced labor in a company’s supply chain that are often unknown and how to best avoid this and its many adverse consequences.  It is part of the HUB Talks podcast which covers critical issues at the intersection of business and law. Catch-up on past episodes by visiting:  http://hubtalks.klgates-media.libsynpro.com/category/Stopping+Traffick.  Or subscribe to HUB Talks via your favorite podcast app to have our episodes delivered directly to you as they become available.