Effective June 21, 2022 the US will no longer allow imports coming in from the XUAR (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) region of China. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act was signed on December 23, 2021 by President Biden to mitigate the importation of goods made in whole or part, mined, assembled, or created in the XUAR as they are now considered forced labor made goods. Not only are goods from the region banned, any goods with parts or pieces from the area, even if manufactured, assembled, or imported from other regions are banned; meaning importers need to closely evaluate their suppliers to ensure they remain in compliance with this directive.
According to STR Trade: Under this law, imports of goods from the XUAR will be banned unless U.S. Customs and Border Protection determines that:
- the importer of record has fully complied with relevant guidance to be provided by CBP, as well as any regulations issued to implement that guidance;
- the importer has completely and substantively responded to all inquiries for information submitted by CBP to ascertain whether the goods were made wholly or in part with forced labor; and
- by clear and convincing evidence, the goods were not made wholly or in part by forced labor.
Items that pass the standard will be listed for public comment commencing 30 days after the standards have been met and reviewed by Customs and Border Protection.
From this point, we must be creative and solution-oriented to find alternative options whether they are raw materials, assembly options, manufacturing areas or other concerts to ensure our cargo is in compliance from product creation, shipping, and carriage in the supply chain.
If you have concerns that there might be a part of your cargo that is made near, or like a product made in the area, Argents is here to help you investigate and notate any issues to protect you from future legal trouble. If we happen to find a connection to XUAR, we’re happy to connect you work with our worldwide network of partners who can guide you to options without compliance concerns.
Reach out to your Argents representative for more information and assistance in this matter. Don’t wait until June to start looking, we urge you to be prepared in advance and make the necessary arrangements. We’re eager to help you ensure compliance with all of your imported cargo.