CBP Exploring Import Ban on Apparel and Textile Products Connected to China’s Uyghur Province

The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) is considering an order to detain imports from the Uyghur region of China due to forced labor concerns. The order targets textile and apparel products made by suppliers in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). The primary focus is goods that contain cotton, yarn or fabric and received Chinese government subsidies or used workers provided by the government to perform work.

The move is a response to ever-increasing evidence that an extensive system of forced labor is being used in the region and that most cotton-based products with a connection to the Uyghur region is fully or partially produced with forced labor.

In addition, the CBP may request importers to identify and map their supply chain relationships to determine if they have suppliers in the XUAR province or other suppliers in China or elsewhere, who use cotton or components made in XUAR province. CBP will work with affected companies to find alternate sources of cotton or production.

Importers that can prove they do not have any cotton or component inputs made in the XUAR would not be subject to the proposed ban.