Image Credits - WION
On Friday, the United States expanded its trade blacklist to address forced labour issues related to Uyghurs and other minorities in China. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list now includes three additional Chinese companies: COFCO Sugar Holding, Sichuan Jingweida Technology Group, and Anhui Xinya New Materials. Starting December 11, products manufactured by these companies will be prohibited from entering the United States, bringing the total number of designated companies to 30.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that the inclusion of these companies on the blacklist is a consequence of their involvement in business practices that specifically target persecuted groups, such as the Uyghur minorities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). COFCO Sugar Holding specializes in refining and producing sugar, Jingweida Technology is engaged in manufacturing devices like network transformers and radio frequency filters, and Xinya New Materials focuses on producing textile materials.
Various Western countries, including the United States, have condemned China’s treatment of the Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region as “genocide,” a characterization vehemently denied by Beijing.
Rights organizations report that a minimum of one million individuals, predominantly belonging to Muslim minorities, have been detained in the Xinjiang region, experiencing extensive mistreatment, including forced sterilization of women and compelled labour.
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act prohibits the importation of any goods from Xinjiang unless companies can provide credible evidence demonstrating that their production processes did not involve forced labour.
Since June 2022, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has examined over 6,000 shipments valued at more than $2 billion due to the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act, which became law in 2021, as reported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas emphasized the department’s ongoing commitment to eliminating forced labour and holding organizations accountable for their human rights violations in a statement.
American officials assert that Chinese authorities have set up labour camps in the western Xinjiang region for Uyghurs and other Muslim minority communities. Despite these allegations, Beijing denies engaging in any abuses.
The U.S. contends that the three companies recently added to the blacklist collaborated with government initiatives that involve relocating persecuted minorities to work at their facilities.
COFCO Sugar, headquartered in Xinjiang, is a major sugar trader in China and is affiliated with the COFCO Group. Additionally, it is involved in the production and export of tomato paste.
Jingweida Technology, located in Sichuan Province, manufactures transformers, network and radio frequency filters, and various other devices. Anhui Xinya New Materials specializes in producing fibre yarns and other textile products.
Requests for comments from COFCO and Jingweida Technology were not promptly addressed. Attempts to reach Xinya New Materials were also unsuccessful.