Industry USA restricts imports from China due to suspicion of forced labor

The USA has announced import restrictions for dozens of companies based in China due to concerns about possible forced labor. This brings the number of sanctioned companies to 107, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

On Friday, the US authorities added around 30 more companies to a list aimed at curbing forced labor in the Xinjiang region, which is predominantly inhabited by the Uyghur minority.

The new import ban includes companies from the metal to the food industry. The reason for the measure is that the companies either source materials from China's northwestern region of Xinjiang or work with the local government to recruit workers and transfer them out of the region, explained the Office of the US Trade Representative.

For years, China has been accused of systematically oppressing the Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, including the use of forced labor.

SDA