The Federal Communications Commission is launching a voluntary labeling program for wireless consumer “Internet of Things” products that have been certified and tested to meet FCC IoT cybersecurity standards, the commission said in a final rule released July 29.
At a field hearing in Michigan, House Select Committee on China Chairman Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and committee member Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., emphasized electric vehicle battery maker Gotion's ties to suppliers that use Uyghur forced labor, and questioned why Gotion should be allowed to open factories in their states. Gotion declined to send a representative to testify, they said.
The administration has added seafood, PVC, which is used in vinyl flooring, and aluminum to its priority enforcement sectors under the Ugyhur Forced Labor Prevention Act, it announced in its strategy update this week. This is the first time priority sectors have been added since the law went into effect two years ago; the original priority sectors of apparel, cotton products, polysilicon and solar panels made from polysilicon, and tomatoes remain.
Sourcemap, an international firm that offers supply chain tracing and mapping services, said its government sources are saying that more companies will be added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List before the end of the year -- and that automotive companies and consumer electronics are in the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force's crosshairs.
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Homeland Security Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade Tasha Reid Hippolyte said that while the implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in its first two years hasn't been perfect, "I feel like we're in a really good space," even as there are still more pain points to work through with the trade.
Crowell & Moring international trade lawyer David Stepp advised businesses, on a podcast hosted by his firm, that the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act is requiring importers "to map their supply chains to a level never seen before," and that since CBP is subscribing to services that use AI to uncover connections, "we really think it's important for clients to take this extra step."
There are a number of tools that the U.S. government has yet to fully utilize if it truly wants to tackle China's use of forced labor to manufacture goods, according to panelists speaking June 13 at a Hudson Institute event, “Tackling the Uyghur Forced Labor Challenge.”
The head of the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force told an audience convened by the Consumer Technology Association that Volkswagen "did the right thing" when it self-reported it had a tiny component made by a company recently added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List. The task force is responsible for adding companies to the list.
Importers and the broader trade industry should expect DHS in the coming months to expand the business sectors under scrutiny for companies’ adherence to forced labor guidelines within the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, DHS Undersecretary for Policy Robert Silvers said during a June 12 webinar sponsored by Kharon, a risk analytics platform.