A total of 631 shipments of apparel, footwear and textiles with a combined value of $29.55 million have been halted as part of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Law (UFLPA) since it took effect in June 2022, according to statistics released Tuesday by US Customs and Border Protection.
More than a third (261) of these shipments were refused entry after review by US Customs, while 136 were cleared and another 234 are still pending. The vast majority of imports came from China (345) and Vietnam (263).
After electronics, the clothing, footwear and textile industry was the second most affected by UFLPA enforcement, but had by far the highest number of shipments refused entry. according to the statistics.
The UFLPA was an unprecedented regulatory move aimed at strengthening the powers of authorities to seize goods they believe may be linked to forced labor in China and placing greater responsibility on companies to prove that their supply chains are free from such abuse. He followed previous crackdowns on US imports of cotton and tomato products linked to the Chinese region of Xinjiang, where, according to widespread reports in recent years, Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities have faced human rights abuses including forced labor by the Chinese government, although Beijing denies the allegations.
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Where is your t-shirt really from?
A strict US ban on imports from China’s Xinjiang region is increasing pressure on companies to prove their supply chains are free of forced labor.
