Implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and the Impact on Global Supply Chains

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) is the most momentous piece of China legislation passed by the Congress in over two decades. If enforced as intended, UFLPA imposes significant costs on the People’s Republic of China for its campaign of genocide against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities and takes steps to prevent companies from benefiting from the use of forced labor in their supply chains. The task assigned to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the multi-agency Forced Labor Enforcement Taskforce (FLETF) is daunting and aggressive enforcement is the key to UFLPA’s effectiveness. 

Almost a year and a half after the legislation was signed into law, this hearing will seek to determine what has gone well, what has not gone as planned, and where enforcement can be enhanced to achieve the UFLPA’s goals and ensure that the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) is no longer the global epicenter of forced labor. In addition, the hearing will also explore whether brands, retailers, and importers – in such diverse sectors as apparel, solar panels, agriculture, electronics, aluminum, and auto parts –  continue to be party to the heinous abuses occurring in the XUAR. We will hear from specialists in labor trafficking, supply chain mapping, and the global tracking of forced labor to determine the need for further congressional oversight and action.

The hearing can be viewed on the CECC’s YouTube channel.

Hearing Transcript (PDF)