DHS Issued WRO on Goods Produced from China’s Forced Labor

Recently, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued 5 Withhold Release Orders (WROs) on products from China. All of the product subjected to the WROs have been allegedly produced via state-sponsored forced labor in China.

The WROs direct CBP at all ports of entry to withhold the release of the following goods:

• All products made with labor from the Lop County No. 4 Vocational Skills Education and Training Center in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China
• Hair products made in the Lop County Hair Product Industrial Park in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China.
• Apparel produced by Yili Zhuowan Garment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and Baoding LYSZD Trade and Business Co., Ltd in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China.
• Cotton produced and processed by Xinjiang Junggar Cotton and Linen Co., Ltd. in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China.
• Computer parts made by Hefei Bitland Information Technology Co., Ltd. in Anhui, China.

CBP has issued an unprecedented 12 WROs in 2020, including 8 on products from China. Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307) prohibits the importation of all goods and merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured with forced labor, convict labor, and/or indentured labor, including forced child labor.

If you have any questions on how this could affect your imports, please reach out to your local Customs and Compliance representative.