Insights on Forced Labor

Trade tensions between Washington and US trading partners, notably China, have complicated many supply chain decisions — what to buy, from where, made by whom, and at what tariff cost.

In the last few years, changes to the United States enforcement stance on the forced labor import ban authorized by 19 U.S.C. § 1307 and passage of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) have fundamentally changed the way that companies operating in the United States conduct business operations worldwide.

The fashion and retail industry experienced another year of considerable change in 2023.

Join Angela Santos as she leads a captivating panel for the International Bar Association, spotlighting prominent leaders in the Fashion & Retail industry. The panelists will deep dive into understanding ESG, with a targeted focus on the intricacies existing within the supply chain.

Recent government actions illustrate that US-China trade relations will continue to be a focus as the United States enters an election year.

Recent measures demonstrate that the United States has maintained its commitment to enforcing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).

Angela Santos speaks on a panel at the Xplore Sustainability conference.

Angela Santos speaks on a panel at Bloomberg’s Sustainable Business Summit.

Join Lucas Rock of ArentFox Schiff, Pauline God of TrusTrace, and Ethan Woolley of Kharon as they provide insights on navigating the current and developing international guidance related to forced labor.

Several recent US governmental regulatory actions intended to combat forced labor serve as a reminder to government contractors and importers of their need to conduct appropriate “know your supplier” due diligence to identify compliance risks within their supply chain.

Partner Angela Santos discussed the differences between Canada and the US in enforcing the ban on goods made with forced labor, noting that the US has been more aggressive in its approach.

Join Eduardo Sotelo Cauduro of Sanchez Devanny, Jessica Horwitz of Bennett Jones, and Angela Santos of ArentFox Schiff as they discuss the requirements in the USMCA region and best practices for a practical and effective supply chain diligence and compliance program.

In this podcast, Birgit Matthiesen speaks with Bob Kirke, the Executive Director of the Canadian Apparel Federation, who will share the very latest about Canada’s efforts to ban imports suspected of having been made with forced and child labor.

Canada joins a number of major trading partners taking a stronger stance on forced labor after passing legislation known as Bill S-211, An Act to Enact Fighting Against Forced Labor and Child Labor in Supply Chains and to Amend Customs Tariff, on May 3, 2023.

In 2020, leaders of Canada, the United States, and Mexico signed the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) which, for the first time in a US free trade agreement, includes a ban on imports of products produced using forced labor.

Partner Angela Santos discussed the impact to businesses from increased enforcement by US Customs & Border Protection of forced labor laws under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which prohibits the import of goods produced or sourced in the Xinjiang region of China.

On March 14-15, 2023, at US Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Forced Labor Technical Expo (Expo), “Tools for Supply Chain Transparency,” 19 technology service providers (providers) presented their forced labor supply chain diligence solutions.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently implemented mandatory forced labor requirements to participate in the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) and CTPAT Trade Compliance programs.

The US and EU have ramped up their enforcement initiatives to eliminate forced labor in supply chains. Importers, particularly in the fashion, electronics, solar, and automotive industries, should review the updated DOL List of Goods Made with Child Labor or Forced Labor for potential future CBP.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) UFLPA Operational Guidance for Importers (CBP Guidance) was published on June 13, 2022 to assist importers in preparing for the UFLPA rebuttable presumption that goes into effect on June 21, 2022.

Join our discussion regarding how this law will impact your company and how to prevent detention of your imports.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued some guidance relating to its enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) prior to June 21, 2022, the effective date of the rebuttable presumption.

The proposed New York State Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act (Fashion Act) and recently enacted Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) aim to compel the fashion industry to expedite the pace of Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) initiatives in the fashion industry and wi

On January 24, 2022, The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), on behalf of the Forced Labor Task Force (Task Force), published a Federal Register Notice to request public comments regarding the implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and the due diligence standards.

The New York State Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act (S7428/ A8352) (Fashion Act) would require fashion retailers and manufacturers doing business in New York State to comply with stringent supply chain mapping requirements and to disclose the environmental and social impacts of t