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Labor Proposes Additions to Contractor Certification List on Forced Child Labor

The Labor Department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs has issued an initial determination that proposes to add three new items to the "List of Products Requiring Federal Contractor Certification as to Forced or Indentured Child Labor” which it preliminarily believes might have been mined, produced or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor.

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Comments are due by December 3, 2011.

(ILAB published its first list under Executive Order 13126 in 2001 and revisions in July 2010 and May 2011. Federal contractors who supply products that appear on this list must certify to the contracting officer that the contractor, or, in the case of an incorporated contractor, a responsible official of the contractor, has made a good faith effort to determine whether forced or indentured child labor was used to mine, produce, or manufacture any product furnished under the contract, and that, on the basis of those efforts, the contractor is unaware of any such use of child labor.)

Proposes to Add Certain Bricks, Cassiterite & Coltan to List

The Departments of Labor, State, and Homeland Security have preliminarily concluded that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the following products, identified by their countries of origin, might have been mined, produced, or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor:

  • bricks from Afghanistan;
  • cassiterite from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and
  • coltan from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

ILAB invites public comment on whether these products (and/or other products, regardless of whether they are mentioned) should be included or removed from the list. ILAB is also interested in public comments relating to whether products initially determined to be on the list are designated with appropriate specificity.

Will Issue Final Determination after Reviewing Comments, Consultations

Following receipt and consideration of comments on the additions to the List set out above, the Labor Department, in consultation and cooperation with the Departments of State and Homeland Security, will issue a final determination.

(ILAB also announced an update of its list of goods (along with country of origin) that it has reason to believe are produced by child labor or forced labor. Newly listings include incense. See future issue for summary.)

ILAB contact - EO13126@dol.gov

(FR Pub 10/04/11)