CBP is banning imports of aluminum extrusions and profile products made by Kingtom Aluminio S.R.L., after finding the use of forced labor at the company’s factory in the Dominican Republic. The agency’s forced labor finding means “aluminum extrusions and profile products and derivatives produced or manufactured wholly or in part by Kingtom Aluminio” using aluminum goods of Chapter 76 of the tariff schedule will be detained beginning Dec. 4, as will any such goods that have already been imported but not yet released from CBP custody by that date.
The Canada Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) terminated its review of human rights complaints against Ralph Lauren Canada, the agency announced last week. The company participated in a confidential dispute settlement process with the parties that filed the complaint against the company; in June 2024, the complainants notified CORE of their decision to withdraw the complaint given "satisfactory responses" from Ralph Lauren.
The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee for CBP holds its next quarterly meeting Dec. 11 remotely and in person in Washington, D.C., at 1 p.m. EST, CBP said in a notice. Comments are due by Dec. 6.
There are now 107 companies flagged by U.S. regulators for using forced labor or sourcing materials from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, with the inclusion of 29 more companies, DHS said.
DHS added 30 more companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List for allegedly using forced labor or participating in forced labor schemes, it said in a notice. Some of the companies are in the metals sector, including the mining, smelting and processing of gold, copper, lithium, beryllium, nickel, manganese, chromium, iron and aluminum. Other newly listed entities produce food products, including tomatoes, tomato paste, ginger and garlic, edible seeds, walnuts and herbs for medicinal purposes. The listings take effect Nov. 25.
The number of shipments stopped in October by CBP because of concerns over forced labor rose on a year-over-year and sequential basis, even though the value of those stopped shipments decreased over those same periods, according to CBP data.
EU ministers this week officially adopted a ban on products made with forced labor, marking one of the final steps in a yearslong lawmaking process designed to eliminate EU imports, exports or other sales of those goods (see 2404230048 and 2403050035). The new regulations will apply about three years after publication in the Official Journal of the EU.
Correction: Tasha Reid Hippolyte, DHS deputy assistant secretary for trade and economic competitiveness, said (see 2411130036) that she is asking other decisionmakers in DHS to publish Chinese-language names of Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List firms, or the addresses of companies that have been added to the UFLPA Entity List. She said the easiest request to fulfill, "the one that I'm pushing," is to provide the Chinese-language names.
DETROIT -- Cindy Allen, owner of consultancy firm Trade Force Multiplier, said she believes some of the initiatives in the 21st Century Customs Framework bills are useful -- such as simplifying CBP's process for seizures -- but that overall, the focus is too heavy on enforcement.
Singapore-headquartered Maxeon Solar Technologies says CBP continues to detain its solar panels imported from Mexico even though the company has provided proof that its solar panels comply with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.