DHS Adds 2 Companies to UFLPA Entity List
The Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force is adding two companies based in China to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List, bringing the total number of entities up to 75, the Department of Homeland Security said in a notice released Oct. 2.
The inclusion of Baowu Group Xinjiang Bayi Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. and Changzhou Guanghui Food Ingredients Co., Ltd., marks the first time that a steel company and an aspartame producer, respectively, have been added to the UFLPA Entity List, DHS said in a news release. The additions are effective Oct. 3.
“Today’s actions reaffirm our commitment to eliminating forced labor from U.S. supply chains and upholding our values of human rights for all,” DHS Under Secretary for Policy Robert Silvers said in the release. “No sector is off-limits. We will continue to identify entities across industries and hold accountable those who seek to profit from exploitation and abuse.”
Xinjiang Bayi, based in the Urumqi Prefecture, engages in iron ore mining and steel manufacturing. Its products include rebar, hot-rolled coils, and medium and thick steel plates.
Changzhou Guanghui Food Ingredients, which also goes by GSweet among other names, is headquartered in Jiangsu, China, and produces and sells aspartame, an artificial sweetener and food additive. The task force believes the company sources material from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
In addition to the inclusion of the two companies, the FLETF made one other update accounting for a company name change. Changhong Meiling Co., Ltd., which manufactures and sells household appliances, had changed its name from Hefei Meling Co., Ltd. The task force had added Hefei Meling to the UFLPA Entity List in June 2022.
The FLETF adds companies to the UFPLA List for allegedly working within the government of the XUAR to recruit, transport, transfer, harbor or receive forced labor or Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, or members of other persecuted groups out of the region. Companies also may be allegedly sourcing materials from the XUAR.
Entities included in the list come from the apparel, agriculture, polysilicon, plastics, chemicals, batteries, household appliances, electronics, and food additives sectors, among others. The list enables U.S. importers to conduct due diligence and examine their supply chains to ensure they are in compliance with forced labor prevention regulations.
In August, the task force announced that it added five companies to the list (see 2408080045). The companies represented those producing construction materials, raw materials or magnesium fertilizer and magnesium alloys.