On August 19, 2025, the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, chaired by the Department of Homeland Security and including agencies such as the Department of Labor, released its annual update to the Strategy to Prevent the Importation of Goods Mined, Produced, or Manufactured with Forced Labor in the People's Republic of China. This update, required by the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), outlines expanded enforcement measures to prevent goods made with forced labor—especially in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region—from entering the U.S. market.
The Task Force has identified five new high-priority sectors for enforcement: caustic soda, copper, jujubes (red dates), lithium, and steel. These join previously designated sectors such as apparel, cotton, tomatoes, polyvinyl chloride, seafood, silica-based products, and aluminum. The selection of these sectors is based on credible evidence of forced labor risk, government investment targeting Xinjiang, and the region's prominence in global production. The strategy encourages American companies to intensify scrutiny and due diligence in these sectors to mitigate regulatory and reputational risk.
The 2025 update also significantly expanded the UFLPA Entity List, which now includes 144 entities, up from 66 in 2024. The Task Force added 78 new entities, removed one, and made three technical corrections, reflecting streamlined processes for identifying organizations involved in forced labor. Goods produced by these entities are presumed to be made with forced labor and are prohibited from entry unless importers provide clear and convincing evidence to the contrary. The update also includes a detailed product list, ranging from textiles and apparel to chemicals, batteries, metals, agricultural goods, and electronics, providing importers with guidance on supply chain risks.
The update highlights enhanced collaboration with industry, non-governmental organizations, and international partners. The Task Force continues to hold biannual stakeholder meetings and targeted webinars (including for the seafood sector) and maintains public channels for submitting comments or recommendations on potential Entity List additions. Enforcement actions remain robust, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection examining more than 16,000 shipments valued at nearly $3.7 billion since the UFLPA rebuttable presumption took effect, and deploying tools such as detentions, exclusions, seizures, sanctions, visa restrictions, and export controls. The Task Force stated that it will continue to expand the Entity List, monitor high-priority sectors, and strengthen partnerships to ensure supply chains remain free from forced labor. DHS's UFLPA update, coupled with CBP's June WRO guidance, demonstrates that forced labor enforcement is accelerating and companies should address supply chain risks.
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