US bans five Chinese companies linked to Uyghur forced labour and ‘slavery’

09 08 2024

The United States has expanded its ban on imports by adding five more Chinese companies accused of benefiting from the forced labor of Uyghurs, who are allegedly trapped in what Beijing refers to as “poverty alleviation” programs.

This new action brings the total number of companies prohibited under the 2021 Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act to 73. This list includes companies directly involved with local authorities in Xinjiang—where the majority of the predominantly Muslim Uyghur minority live—or those sourcing inputs from such companies.

The latest additions to the blacklist are fertilizer producer Rare Earth Magnesium Technology Group Holdings and its parent company, Century Sunshine Group Holdings, both based in Hong Kong. These companies are accused of sourcing tainted materials from Xinjiang. The list also includes Kashgar Construction Engineering (Group) Co., Ltd., Xinjiang Habahe Ashele Copper Co., Ltd., and Xinjiang Tengxiang Magnesium Products Co., Ltd., which are alleged to employ Uyghur slave labor directly.

These newly blacklisted firms may request meetings with U.S. Homeland Security officials to contest their inclusion or to demonstrate that they have severed ties with forced labor practices and seek removal from the list.

Since 2021, the U.S. government has accused Beijing of committing “genocide” against Uyghurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang, including forced sterilizations, cultural repression, and mass internments in high-security camps. Escaped Uyghurs have reported being compelled to work for Chinese companies under harsh conditions. Beijing, however, denies any allegations of slavery and describes its programs as “poverty alleviation” initiatives aimed at vocational training.

Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of the Campaign for Uyghurs, praised the U.S. for its actions, noting that the gradual blacklisting of firms exploiting Uyghur labor is making it increasingly unattractive for other companies to engage in such practices. Abbas described the Uyghur genocide as having become “profitable” for some businesses and commended Washington for its efforts to make this “barbarity” economically unviable. She also urged other nations to implement similar bans.