US Customs has stepped up inspections of Uyghur forced labor products

U.S. Customs has begun stricter inspections of products from China's neighboring countries to combat Uyghur forced labor.

Voice of America reported on November 22 that the latest US Customs data show that in September, $74 million worth of electronic products based on solar panels and microchips from Malaysia and Vietnam were denied entry into the US, including those made with forced Uyghur labor. I was not checking for parts.

Since June 2022, the United States has officially implemented the Uyghur Forced Labor Prohibition Act (UFLPA), which has imposed tougher regulations on criminal behavior in East Turkistan.

According to the latest data from the US Customs Service, more than 6,000 shipments worth more than $2 billion have been inspected at customs for forced labor as of September this year.

Data updated in early November showed that nearly half of those goods had been rejected or were still awaiting approval. In September alone, $82 million worth of goods were rejected or held for inspection at U.S. Customs. 90% of these are electronic products.

More than two-thirds of the rejected or impounded goods reportedly came from Malaysia or Vietnam, the two main exporters of solar cells and semiconductors to the US. Vietnam is also a supplier of textiles, shoes and clothing to the United States.