US Bars Imports from Chinese Footwear, Seafood, and Aluminum Companies Due to Uyghur Labor Concerns, Reports Reuters

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U.S. Targets More Companies Linked to Uyghur Forced Labor

WASHINGTON – The United States has added three additional companies to a list that restricts imports from organizations allegedly associated with Uyghur forced labor practices in China, as announced in a recent U.S. government notice.

The newly identified companies are Dongguan Oasis Shoes Co. (a shoe manufacturer), Xinjiang Shenhuo Coal and Electricity Co. (involved in electrolytic aluminum production), and Shandong Meijia Group Co. (also known as Rizhao Meijia Group, a food processor). This information was released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

In its statement, the DHS emphasized that this initiative is aimed at increasing scrutiny on sectors such as seafood, aluminum, and footwear, which are vital to Xinjiang’s economy. The department’s goal is to prevent goods produced using forced labor from entering the U.S. market.

Numerous companies have been placed on the Entity List under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which restricts imports linked to what the U.S. government refers to as an ongoing genocide against minorities in the western Xinjiang region of China.

U.S. officials allege that Chinese authorities have created labor camps for Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang, a claim that Beijing denies.

In response to the recent U.S. actions, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy, termed the allegations of forced labor in Xinjiang as "an egregious lie" spread by anti-China factions. He described the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act as a measure that infringes on human rights in the region and disrupts global industrial and supply chains, as well as international trade protocols.