International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked Lear Co., a multinational auto parts supplier, to defend its leather supply chain from Brazil, and, in a footnote in the letter, cited a Reuters story that said 1,324 workers had been rescued from slavery-like conditions while cutting down forests in Brazil from 1995 to 2021. However, that article also said Brazil defines slave labor as not just forced labor -- where workers are not free to leave jobs -- but also working in degrading work conditions, or working such long hours that it's a health risk.
The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and the chairman of the House Select Committee on China told Ford its response to its earlier letter "did not provide the level of detail sought by the Committee," and they continue to have questions about whether Ford's partnership with a Chinese electric vehicle battery maker will obscure Chinese imports in the EV batteries produced in Michigan, and whether those inputs will be produced with forced labor.
CBP awarded Altana a “multi-year contract” to map supply chains for the agency for CBP’s use in addressing forced labor, the company said in a news release July 20. “This new award expands Altana’s relationship with CBP to help enable CBP officers and analysts to quickly understand the complexities of rapidly-shifting global supply chains, all using Altana’s Atlas,” Altana said. “The Atlas will assist CBP officers and analysts to analyze highly messy data at scale, harness artificial intelligence to triage and prioritize actions, and collaborate across borders to stop the flow of goods created by forced labor,” it said. CBP did not immediately comment.
CBP in June identified 405 shipments valued at more than $239 million for further examination based on the suspected use of forced labor, including goods subject to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and withhold release orders, the agency said in its most recent operational update. In May, CBP identified a total of 460 shipments valued at more than $197 million (see 2306210021). CBP also seized 1,709 shipments in June that contained counterfeit goods valued at more than $120 million, the agency said.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The Securities and Exchange Commission is pressing companies based in China to provide more detailed disclosures on Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act compliance and the role of the Chinese government in their operations, according to a sample letter recently posted to the agency’s website.
Importers of apparel from Africa and exporters of auto parts, apparel, food and metal from South Africa are making the case to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act ahead of schedule, renew it for at least 10 years, if not 20, and, some are arguing directly, restore Ethiopia's eligibility.
Canada launched investigations of Nike Canada and Dynasty Gold this week after receiving complaints that both companies’ supply chains have ties to forced labor in China. A Canadian agency said it’s probing allegations that Nike has “supply relationships” with Chinese companies that use Uyghur forced labor and that Dynasty Gold, a mining company, benefited from Uyghur forced labor at a Chinese mine in which it had a majority stake.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.