Forced Labor Linked to Amazon Suppliers, Report Says
Multiple Amazon suppliers have ties to forced labor in China, the Tech Transparency Project said in a March 7 report. "Three Amazon suppliers are reported to have used forced labor directly: Luxshare Precision Industry, AcBel Polytech, and Lens Technology," the group said. "Another two, GoerTek and Hefei BOE Optoelectronics, are themselves supplied by factories that have been implicated in forced labor." Amazon also continues to sell third-party products that advertise the use of Xinjiang cotton despite a ban on such goods, it said.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
“Amazon complies with the laws and regulations in all jurisdictions in which it operates, and expects suppliers to adhere to our Supply Chain Standards," a company spokesperson said. "We take allegations of human rights abuses seriously, including those related to the use or export of forced labor. Whenever we find or receive proof of forced labor, we take action.”
The TTP is part of the Campaign for Accountability, a self-described "watchdog organization" that previously submitted a petition to CBP asking for a withhold release order on Apple products due to forced labor connections (see 2109270037). That group didn't return a request for comment on whether a similar petition was planned for Amazon. CBP also didn't comment.