According to data released by the U.S. Customs on Tuesday (March 14, 2023), since the "Uyghur Forced Uyghur Labor Prevention Act" (UFLPA) became law at the end of 2021, the customs have intercepted a total of 3,237 import manifests according to law, and allowed 1,090 after verification. 424 shipments were rejected, and there are still 1,723 shipments waiting for verification.

CBP data also showed electronics accounted for the largest percentage of stopped import manifests, followed by apparel. In terms of the value of intercepted goods, shipments from Malaysia and Vietnam ranked the top two, and shipments from China ranked third.

"We are committed to working with industry to help them navigate complex global supply chains, ensure products entering the United States comply with U.S. trade laws, and ensure that workers around the world are treated with dignity and humaneness," CBP said. .”

Under the Forced Uyghur Labor Prevention Act, U.S. Customs and Border Protection requires manufacturing companies and importers to provide "clear and convincing evidence" that the products they import from Xinjiang were not produced by forced labor.

The law is the U.S. government's response to China's mistreatment of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim groups in Xinjiang. The United States has characterized China's mistreatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang as genocide and says China seeks to destroy the Uyghur people and culture through mass surveillance, mass incarceration, forced sterilization, forced marriages with non-Uyghurs, and forced labor.

China accused the United States of "politicizing normal economic and trade cooperation and illegally withholding" products related to Xinjiang.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said last month, " Using the non-existent 'forced labor' in Xinjiang as an excuse, the United States politicizes normal economic and trade cooperation, illegally detains relevant products, violates international trade rules, undermines the stability of international production and supply chains, and ultimately It will also harm the interests of the United States," he said.

"China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies," she said.