WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. has added three more companies to an entity list that bars imports from firms allegedly involved with Uyghur forced labor in China, according to a U.S. government notice posted online on Tuesday.
The latest targets include shoe manufacturer Dongguan Oasis Shoes Co, electrolytic aluminum maker Xinjiang Shenhuo Coal and Electricity Co and food processor Shandong Meijia Group Co, also known as Rizhao Meijia Group, the notice from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.
“Through these actions, DHS is increasing its focus on seafood, aluminum, and shoes – sectors that play an important role in Xinjiang’s economy – and ensuring goods made with forced labor are kept out of the U.S. market,” the department said in a separate statement.
Scores of companies have been added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List, which restricts the import of goods tied to what the U.S. government has characterized as an ongoing genocide of minorities in China’s western Xinjiang region.
U.S. officials believe Chinese authorities have established labor camps for Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang. Beijing denies any abuses.
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It has previously called the U.S. list “an instrument of a few U.S. politicians to disrupt stability in Xinjiang and contain China’s development.”
(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Karen Freifeld; Editing by Paul Simao)
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