House Committee Requests DHS Briefing on Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Implementation

<p>The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party is requesting a briefing from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding the agency's implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), a law aimed at preventing the import of goods made with forced labor in China, according to a letter shared with Fox News Digital.</p><p>The UFLPA, passed in 2021, directed DHS' Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to create a strategy to stop the importation of goods into the United States that are "manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in the People's Republic of China."</p><p>Human rights organizations have raised concerns about the alleged oppression and forced labor affecting Uyghurs, a Muslim ethnic minority in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.</p><p>Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., the ranking member on the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, stated that the enforcement of the UFLPA is not only a moral issue but also relates to economic and national security for Americans.</p><p>Khanna emphasized that the issue extends beyond human rights violations, noting that products made with forced labor, such as steel and aluminum, are entering the U.S. market, which undermines American manufacturers. He called for more companies using forced Uyghur labor to be designated by DHS.</p><p>The bipartisan letter, addressed to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, outlines ten concerns, including the efforts of DHS and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to update the UFLPA Entity List.</p><p>DHS added 43 companies to the list in July, an action Khanna praised. He noted that the administration's recent actions may have been influenced by the committee's letter.</p><p>The committee's letter expresses concerns that products from companies on the list, particularly those from Xinjiang, are still reaching U.S. consumers. It references a New York Times report suggesting that cotton used in popular "Labubu" dolls may come from forced labor.</p><p>Khanna pointed out that many textiles are sourced from Uyghurs in China, where forced labor is prevalent. He also discussed how China circumvents import bans by outsourcing manufacturing to other countries.</p><p>Khanna stated that the issue of forced labor in China is bipartisan, as reflected by the eight lawmakers who signed the letter, including four Republicans and four Democrats.</p><p>He concluded by emphasizing that Americans support fair trade and do not want to compete with products made using slave labor.</p><p>Fox News Digital reached out to DHS, CBP, the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., and Pop Mart, the maker of Labubu, for further comment.</p>