Forced Labor Enforcement Actions
Forced labor has been a persistent topic in the world of supply chain for years but has grown in significance since around 2016 due in part to legislative actions taken in the United States. A great deal of information regarding forced labor and the global initiatives to prevent it is readily available. What is forced labor? The International Labour Organization has identified eleven indicators of forced labor, including isolation, restriction of movement, withholding wages, deception, excessive overtime, and intimidation.
In light of the recent implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) in the United States, Tradeflow is committed to being resourceful for our customers on denied party screening, compliance, and trade regulations.
What Can Importers Do?
- Educate your suppliers on forced labor
- Include language related to forced labor in your contracts and orders
- Do not focus only on the seller of the goods
- Look at all components from raw materials to the finished goods
- Know where each component originated and who was involved in production
- Establish an audit trail of supply chain traceability documents (PO, Invoice, Payment, Audit, Production, etc.)
- Retain all records to support sourcing at all levels
- Implement compliance monitoring program – consider independent third-party verifications
- Have all necessary “evidence” in place prior to import – the 30-day detention period is too short to put together all that is needed to gain an exception under UFLPA or prove the absence of forced labor
Denied Party Screening
In today's security and customs compliance conscious environment, importers and exporters are accountable for making sure they stay trade compliant. Our web-based software suite that offers customers an easy and efficient way to manage their trade compliance activities.
Leverage your restricted party screening strategy with automated processes and other capabilities. Tradeflow is a crucial resource to educating your business on trade compliance and forced labor.
Government Resources
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Withhold Release Orders and Findings
- Blue Campaign
- Labor List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor
- 2021 Trafficking in Person Report
- Promoting Human Rights and Democracy
- International Labor Organization: Indicators of Forced Labor
- Importing Freedom: Using the U.S. Tariff Act to Combat Forced Labor in Supply Chains
- Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Statistics