Homeland Security adds 43 Chinese firms to forced-labor blacklist

The Department of Homeland Security announced the largest expansion yet of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list, adding 43 Chinese companies across apparel, cotton, aluminum, and agricultural supply chains. Customs agents are instructed to treat all goods from these firms as presumptively produced with forced labor involving Uyghurs and other oppressed minorities. Among the new entries is Chalkis Health Industry Co. Ltd., a state-owned holding company based in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, alleged to source tomatoes from the area.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin emphasized the need to shield U.S. workers from unfair competition and uphold human dignity, while Under Secretary Rob Law reiterated the administration’s resolve to eradicate forced labor from American supply chains. Since the act took effect in 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has denied entry to more than 24,300 shipments valued at almost a billion dollars. China’s state-run one outlet dismissed the list as a politically motivated stunt, criticizing the inclusion of food companies and warning of trade uncertainty.