CBP Issues New Withhold Release Order
CBP recently issued a new withhold release order due to suspicions of goods made by forced labor, according to CBP's list of such orders. The WRO is dated May 18 and applies to "all Turkmenistan Cotton or products produced in whole or in part with Turkmenistan cotton." Labor and human rights groups filed a petition in 2016 calling for a ban on all cotton from the country because Turkmenistan operates a government monopoly that forces citizens to grow and harvest cotton under threat of penalty (see 1604120031). That petition named Ikea as one company that has imported products made with cotton from Turkmenistan. The Cotton Campaign, which submitted the petition, and Ikea didn't immediately comment.
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The new WRO marks the third action so far this year related to forced labor. In February, CBP revoked an WRO on "Potassium, Potassium Hydroxide, Potassium Nitrate" from China and in March the agency issued a WRO on toys from China (see 1803160010).