The US has added a further 43 Chinese companies to the list of organisations whose products are banned from import due to suspicions of forced labour in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). This was announced by the US Department of Homeland Security and the State Department.
The sanctions list includes companies operating in the mining, agricultural, transport and metallurgical sectors, as well as in the seafood processing industry. The ban on imports of their products came into force on 31 July. There are now 187 Chinese companies on the list.
Washington claims that the new restrictions are being imposed under the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act, which came into force at the end of 2021. Under this Act, goods from Xinjiang are deemed to have been produced using forced labour unless proven otherwise.
The US accuses the Chinese authorities of widespread human rights abuses against the Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. Beijing rejects these accusations, calling them politically motivated, and states that measures are being implemented in Xinjiang to combat extremism and develop the region’s economy.
The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is situated in north-western China. The majority of Uyghurs living in the region are Muslim. The Chinese authorities claim that separatist groups linked to international terrorist organisations are active in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.