U.S. Customs and Border Protection has barred imports from three companies, including a supplier to Western apparel companies, that the agency says could be using North Korean forced labor.
As part of a broad crackdown on goods made with forced labor, Customs on Tuesday said it had used a 2017 law that imposed sanctions on North Korea to detain imports from three companies: Jingde Trading Ltd., Rixin Foods Ltd. and Zhejiang Sunrise Garment Group Co. Customs said it found indications that all three companies use North Korean workers, which under U.S. law are assumed to be forced laborers unless proven otherwise.
China and Russia are home to the majority of North Korean people working abroad, according to the U.S. The companies couldn’t be reached for comment. Zhejiang Sunrise is a supplier to Western apparel companies, supply-chain experts said. A United Nations report published in March flagged a company called Rixin Foodstuffs Ltd. for allegedly bringing North Korean laborers to work in a factory in China. A Customs spokeswoman didn’t immediately respond to a query on whether Rixin Foods and Rixin Foodstuffs are the same company.
Ban all manufacturing products from China! And make it difficult for Smerican companies to invest there! It’s about time!
Border Protection… that’s an oxymoron!