A group of four influential members from the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) publicly released a letter to the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican trade representatives on Tuesday (September 24). They urged Canadian and Mexican authorities to legislate banning the import of forced labor goods from China following U.S. laws as the blueprint.
The signatories of this letter, linked here, are the current and former chairpersons of CECC. They are Republican Congressman Chris Smith, Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, Republican Senator Marco Rubio, and Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern.
In the past, these four lawmakers have led legislative actions on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). The UFLPA aims to address the human rights atrocities committed by the Chinese Communist Party in Xinjiang against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, including forced labor.
“The enactment of UFLPA was in response to the severe repression policies of the Chinese authorities against Uyghurs and other Turkic ethnic groups, including forcing these individuals into involuntary labor, which seriously violates internationally recognized human rights,” the letter stated.
“The appalling practice has not abated. The existence of this law also highlights the necessity for additional enforcement mechanisms to ensure American institutions comply with the law prohibiting the importation of forced labor goods.”
They called on the two U.S. neighbors to consider legislation to align with the U.S. ban. The lawmakers also pointed out that importers might seek to exploit Canada and Mexico to transship illicit goods to the U.S.
The letter stated: “U.S. customs officials informed us that a shipment of solar panels rejected entry into the U.S. due to UFLPA was subsequently imported to Canada, attempting to be re-exported to the U.S.”
They also noted that most goods detained at U.S. ports were not directly from China but had transited through several Southeast Asian countries before being exported to the U.S. Therefore, U.S. lawmakers hope to enhance cooperation with Canada and Mexico to prevent such transshipments.
“There is more work to be done,” the lawmakers stated, “We hope the UFLPA can serve as a model for similar legislation in Canada and Mexico, making North America truly a region free of forced labor goods.”
Canada has already agreed to block imports of goods related to forced labor. A spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency said that as of last month, Canada had intercepted about 50 shipments. However, most of them were eventually cleared by customs.
Last year, Canada also passed a law aimed at disclosing forced labor in the supply chain, but critics argue that the law is not comprehensive enough. The law did not impose new bans, only requiring businesses to report parts of their supply chains that may involve forced labor.
According to U.S. Customs data, the U.S. has reviewed or permanently denied entry for approximately 5,200 shipments worth around $1.1 billion under UFLPA.