US seizes increasing quantities of products linked to Uyghur forced labor

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act is now being more strictly enforced in the United States, with automobile and aircraft parts and products linked to Uyghur forced labor being subject to stricter scrutiny upon entry into the United States.

According to a report published by the Japanese Nikkei Business News on January 31, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized $1.78 billion worth of goods in 2024, up 45% from 2023. Products related to the automobile and aviation sectors accounted for about half of the goods banned from entering the U.S. market, with 753 different products seized.

In May 2024, U.S. customs authorities discovered that BMW and Volkswagen had imported parts from China and placed them on a list of companies linked to forced labor. Currently, U.S. customs authorities have tightened their scrutiny of products related to the automobile industry to verify their links to forced labor.

In addition to goods from China, Vietnam, and Malaysia, the amount of goods being held from India and Thailand is also increasing, the report said. Since the implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, the US Department of Homeland Security has blacklisted nearly 150 Chinese companies. The list includes major companies such as Xinjiang Zhonghe and Xinjiang Color Metal. These companies produce rare earths, lithium used in electric vehicle batteries, and silicon used in solar panels, and these products have been banned because of their links to forced labor.