Senate Backs Bill to Ban Xinjiang Goods Unless Waiver Given
- Importers would need to prove goods not made with forced labor
- Beijing denies any forced labor, has threatened retaliation
This article is for subscribers only.
The U.S. Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would ban all goods from or made in China’s Xinjiang region unless importers can prove they weren’t made with forced labor, a move that could potentially have widespread implications for the solar industry.
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act requires the U.S Department of Homeland Security to create a list of entities who collaborate with the Chinese government in the repression of ethnic minority Uyghurs and other groups. It also contains a “rebuttable presumption” that assumes all goods were made with forced labor unless the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection gives an exception.