US bans all imports of cotton and tomato products from Xinjiang, citing allegations of forced labour
- Effective immediately, the measure applies to goods shipped from Xinjiang as well as products from outside the region using its resources
- US companies annually import around 1.5 billion garments containing Xinjiang cotton, representing sales of more than US$20 billion, a watchdog group says
The US is banning all imports of cotton and tomato products originating in China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, government officials said on Wednesday, citing growing concerns over widespread use of forced labour there.
Coming in the final week of the Trump administration, the action, effective immediately, constitutes one of the most sweeping and aggressive policy actions taken by the US to address China’s treatment of ethnic minority groups in the northwestern region.
The measure will also send shock waves through a global garment industry that is deeply enmeshed in Xinjiang, which produces around a fifth of the world’s cotton.
“‘Made in China’ does not just indicate a country of origin – it’s a warning label,” Ken Cuccinelli, the acting deputy secretary of Homeland Security, said at a news briefing.
The ban applies not only to finished goods shipped from Xinjiang, but to items routed through third countries as well. It will also cover goods that are assembled outside Xinjiang but that use raw cotton and tomato from Xinjiang, officials said.