US bars imports of products made by forced labor

WASHINGTON, June 21 (KUNA) -- The United States is banning imports of Chinese products made by forced labor namely by the Uyghur community in China.
Antony J. Blinken, the Secretary of State, declared in a statement on Tuesday, "Starting today, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin to implement the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Actآ’s provisions to prohibit imports made by forced labor into the United States of products made in Xinjiang." President Biden signed the Act into law on December 23, 2021, after it passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the United States Congress, underscoring "our commitment to combating forced labor everywhere, including in Xinjiang, where genocide and crimes against humanity are ongoing," Blinken stated.
The State Department is committed to working with Congress and "our interagency partners to continue combating forced labor in Xinjiang and strengthen international coordination against this egregious violation of human rights." Addressing forced labor and other human rights abuses in the Peopleآ’s Republic of China (PRC) and around the world is a priority for President Biden and this Administration. (end) rsr.rk