Trump Administration Strongly Warns U.S. Businesses Against Contributing to China’s Human Rights Abuses

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are issuing a joint advisory urging U.S. companies to monitor their activities in China, particularly in the Xinjiang region, where the Chinese government is harshly repressing its own people and is committing human rights abuses.

This advisory warns U.S. businesses, individuals, academic institutions, service providers, investors and others that choose to operate in Xinjiang or engage with entities that use labor or goods from Xinjiang will face reputational, economic, and legal risks associated with certain types of involvement with entities that engage in human rights abuses.

The advisory details the abuses:

“Given the kind of atrocities going on in China at the hands of the PRC, every U.S. business needs to review the advisory and thoroughly evaluate their business activities and should examine the impact this exportation of forced labor has on their supply chains and more importantly, their reputations,” said Acting Deputy Secretary of DHS, Ken Cuccinelli.

DHS will take increased enforcement action against businesses in the U.S. who violate the law by contributing to human rights abuses in Xinjiang and elsewhere in China.

DHS Customs & Border Protection will continue to issue trade prohibitions on goods produced with forced labor imported into the United States from China, especially Xinjiang.

DHS’ Homeland Security Investigations is actively investigating companies and corporate officials who knowingly benefit from forced labor in Xinjiang.

For more information, see the business advisory at https://www.dhs.gov/publication/xinjiang-supply-chain-business-advisory.