The United States expanded its trade sanctions over allegations of forced labor of Uyghurs and other ethno-religious minorities in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. According to a statement released on Friday, July 31, 43 more Chinese companies were added to the import blacklist under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).
This marks the first UFLPA expansion under President Donald Trump. It is the largest single addition since the law took effect in December 2021, raising the total number of listed entities from 144 to 187.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement, “Today the United States added 43 China-based companies to the list under the UFLPA. This law is a key tool designed to block goods produced with forced labor from entering the U.S. and to ensure a level playing field for American companies.”
Pigott stated that the UFLPA, passed in 2021, aims to prevent products made with forced labor of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China from reaching the U.S. market and to hold accountable entities involved in such practices.
Among the blacklisted entities is Hunan Aihua Group, one of China’s leading capacitor manufacturers. The entities operate in a wide range of sectors, including pharmaceuticals, metallurgy, cotton, food, and lithium production.
The United States has long accused China of running forced labor camps for Uyghurs and other ethno-religious minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Beijing has repeatedly rejected these allegations, denying claims of human rights abuses in the region.