U.S. International Trade Commission
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a forced-labor finding against Kingtom Aluminio S.R.L. (“Kingtom”), a Chinese-owned aluminum extruder in the Dominican Republic. CBP determined that aluminum extrusions, profile...more
This is the second of a three-part series about the USMCA joint review process, focusing on China, Mexico, and competing visions of a “worker-centered” trade policy. Part one introduces the USMCA joint review process and...more
There is an increasing demand to do something about the de minimis shipments under §321 of the Tariff Act (19 USC 1321). What is §321? Let’s take a look at some of the text from Title 19: “The Secretary of the Treasury,...more
In February 2024, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began taking a new approach to Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) enforcement—questionnaires. Once again, the solar industry is among the first targets, vanguards...more
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” - George Santayana. As an example of this I present to you the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930. If you are not familiar with this, it is worth taking a moment...more
The fight against forced labor in trade is not a new concept. For decades, the United States has banned the importation of goods produced with forced labor through the U.S. Tariff Act of 1930 (“Tariff Act”). Section 307 of...more
The rebuttable presumption of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act ("UFLPA") took effect on June 21, 2022. As a reminder, under this presumption for purposes of Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930, goods produced in the...more
Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force issues required enforcement strategy, including guidance to importers. On June 21, 2022, the key operative provision of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) entered into...more
On January 24, 2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Federal Register notice requesting public comments on methods to prevent the importation into the United States of goods made wholly or in part...more
On January 24, 2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) published a notice in the Federal Register requesting public comments on the implementation of the new regional import restriction affecting goods from the...more
On January 24, 2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on behalf of the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF) issued a Notice Seeking Public Comments on Methods to Prevent the Importation of Goods Mined,...more
Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) issued a request for comments to assist the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (“FLETF”) with implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (“UFLPA”)...more
Will 2022 Be the Year of Supply Chain Ethics? Effective June 21, 2022, in an effort to address forced labor concerns, U.S. law will broadly prohibit imports of products from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region...more
On December 23, 2021, President Biden signed the bipartisan Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA or the “Act”), Pub. L. No. 117-78, which will ban the importation of all goods sourced from the People’s Republic of...more
US importers should participate in the Task Force's comment and hearing process to flag due diligence challenges and formulate the strategy to enforce the import prohibitions. What to Know - Effective June 21, 2022, 180...more
After more than a year of debate in the U.S. Congress as to the scope and enforceability, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA or Act) passed Congress with strong bipartisan support. President Biden has publicly...more
The UFLPA aims to clamp down on the import of items produced by alleged forced labor in and relating to the XUAR. On 16 December 2021, the US Senate unanimously passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA),...more
Legislation Will Block Imports Linked to Human Rights Abuses in China On December 16, 2021, Congress passed H.R. 6256, known as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). The UFLPA establishes a rebuttable presumption...more
The Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) in U.S. Department of Commerce has added 34 more companies to its Entity List in its continued expansion of U.S. export controls to address human rights in the Xinjiang Uyghur...more
On Thursday, 24 June 2021, the Biden administration took various actions against solar product manufacturers in the Xinjiang region, which will have implications on the supply chain for the construction of solar energy...more
In an anticipated move, the Biden administration escalated its forced labor enforcement efforts on June 24 by announcing the issuance of a new withhold/release order (WRO) that blocks the import of certain polysilicon-based...more
On May 4, 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the seizure of a shipment containing 3.97 million nitrile disposable gloves that, according to CBP, is directly linked to forced labor practices in Malaysia. ...more
U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) issued a forced labor finding on March 29, 2021 against Top Glove Corporation Bhd. (Top Glove), a Malaysian manufacturer of disposable gloves, a product which has been in high demand...more
Review Your Supply Chain and Establish Compliance Plans Because Forced Labor Laws are Here to Stay - If passed, these bills will grant US Customs and Border Protection authority for a region-wide WRO enabling the agency...more