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July 21, 2021 | Kevin Koch Product Development Manager
Forced Labor & Human Rights Abuses—An Urgent Warning for Companies Doing Business with China’s Xinjiang Province
Xinjiang supply chain business advisory
Last week, the U.S. Department of State, alongside numerous other government agencies, issued an updated supply chain business advisory to highlight the risks and considerations for businesses with exposure to entities engaged in forced labor and other human rights abuses linked to Xinjiang, China. The United States Trade Representative stated that the advisory calls urgent attention to U.S. businesses’ supply chain risks and identifies serious investing and sourcing considerations for businesses and individuals with exposure to entities engaged in the aforementioned activities.
The advisory outlines U.S. government actions taken to date to counter the use of forced labor in Xinjiang and to prohibit the importation of goods produced, in whole or in part, with forced or convict labor. It also warns that given the severity and extent of these abuses, businesses and individuals that do not exit supply chains, ventures, and/or investments connected to Xinjiang could run a high risk of violating U.S. law.
Some of the critical updates to this advisory are as follows:
- Information related to the various kinds of risks and potential exposure to state-sponsored forced labor and human rights abuses related to Xinjiang
- Updated information about U.S. government actions taken in response to human rights abuses in and in connection with Xinjiang, including but not limited to the issuance of Withhold Release Orders (WRO) by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the addition of entities to the U.S. Department of Commerce Entity List, the imposition of economic sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the imposition of visa restrictions by the U.S. Department of State, and the addition of goods to the U.S. Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor
- A list of other countries’ regulatory provisions and information on forced labor in supply chains
What are the risks?
According to the advisory, potential legal risks include violation of statutes that criminalize forced labor, including knowingly benefitting from participation in a venture while knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that the venture has engaged in forced labor, as well as sanctions violations if dealing with designated persons; export control violations; and violation of the prohibition of importations of goods produced, in whole or in part, with forced or convict labor.
A risk no matter the connection to your supply chain
It is important to point out that the advisory pertains to businesses linked directly and indirectly to those in Xinjiang engaged in such activities. For example, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) dominates global solar supply chains. Mounting evidence links nearly every step of the production of solar products and inputs—from raw silicon material mining to final solar module assembly—to known or probable forced labor programs in the PRC.
Therefore, exercising comprehensive, end-to-end due diligence of your supply chain is a must. The advisory explicitly states that raw and refined materials, commodities, intermediate goods, byproducts, and recycled materials may all have connections to forced labor and human rights violations in Xinjiang, regardless of the final product and region of origin or export.
Which industries and types of commodities are involved?
The Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory provides a must-read list (see annex 2, page 25) of industries in Xinjiang in which public reporting has indicated that labor abuses may be taking place. Please note that the list is illustrative, non-exhaustive, and does not confirm that all goods produced in these industries in Xinjiang involve forced labor. Businesses should consider the list as an additional risk factor for engaging in heighted human rights due diligence.
Human rights due diligence—steps to consider
The collective agencies recommend that businesses and individuals undertake heightened due diligence to ensure compliance with U.S. law and to identify any potential exposure to companies operating in Xinjiang, linked to Xinjiang (e.g., through the pairing program or Xinjiang supply chain inputs), or utilizing Uyghur and other Muslim minority laborers from Xinjiang. In the event that linkages to prohibited entities are identified, businesses and individuals must avoid unlawful activities.
Guidance for heightened due diligence in high-risk and conflict-affected regions and the factors to be considered in determining appropriate action, including whether and how to responsibly end relationships when a business lacks the leverage to prevent or mitigate adverse impacts and is unable to increase its leverage can be found in the following documents:
- The United Nations Guiding Principles
- The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines
- The International Labor Organization (ILO) publication, “Combating Forced Labour: A Handbook for Employers and Business”
- The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights guide on “The Corporate Responsibility to Respect Human Rights,” (OHCHR guide)
Businesses and individuals providing Chinese entities goods or services, receiving goods and services from them, directly or indirectly, or engaging in ventures with Chinese entities are likely to face obstacles to conducting adequate due diligence to fully identify and avoid complicity in human rights abuses linked to Xinjiang.
Businesses and individuals should consider these difficulties, as well as any warning signs and the credible reports of the prevalence of forced labor and other human rights abuses in the region. The recent actions of the U.S. government and multilateral partners have shown that the cost of companies performing increased due diligence is less than that of the economic and reputational impacts of economic sanctions.
Businesses and individuals may also wish to collaborate with industry groups to share information, develop the capacity to research potential indicators of forced labor or labor abuses in Chinese languages, and build relationships with Chinese suppliers and recipients of U.S. goods and services—all toward the goal of better understanding their possible relationships to Xinjiang under PRC programs, including the mutual pairing assistance program.
While human rights due diligence best practices for businesses typically include conducting independent onsite inspections and working with suppliers and local law enforcement to remediate forced labor and other abusive labor practices, repressive conditions in the form of genocide and crimes against humanity make it extremely challenging for businesses to have the necessary access to their suppliers or customers inside of Xinjiang to conduct credible audits and support meaningful remediation.
Guiding resources
Now is the time to ensure compliance, make changes as needed, and mitigate your potential risk and penalties from forced labor. You do not have to make this journey alone, however. There are plenty of helpful resources available, including a recent blog from our colleague, Monica DeMars, that breaks down your role as importer in maintaining forced labor compliance and provides a set of instructions to get started.
In addition, the Department of State provides a variety of resources. Below are a few helpful links.
- The Department of Labor - List of goods produced by child or forced labor
- The Department of Labor - List of products produced by forced or indentured child labor
- The U.S. Department of Labor’s Comply Chain mobile app and web-based platform provides information on due diligence measures specific to forced labor and child labor in supply chains.
- The Responsible Sourcing Tool assists companies in better identifying, preventing, and addressing the risks of human trafficking in their global supply chains.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection fact sheet sets out resources to assist companies with strengthening their policies and procedures to mitigate the risk of child and forced labor in their global supply chains.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection Withhold Release Orders and Findings
Please note that CBP does not generally publicize specific detentions, re-exportations, exclusions, or seizures of the subject merchandise that may have resulted from the WROs or findings. - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations fact sheet provides information on the Forced Labor Program that coordinates criminal investigations into allegations of forced labor (including forced child labor) resulting in the manufacturing or production of goods overseas imported into the United States.
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Trade & Tariff Resources
Get the latest news regarding tariffs and trade that can impact your business. We break down the variables of recent changes into simple, effective summaries you can use to better understand the ever-changing and often complicated trade policy and enforcement environment.
Section 301 - Unfair trade practices
What is it?
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 — Allows the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to suspend trade agreement concessions or impose import restrictions if it determines a U.S. trading partner is violating trade agreement commitments or engaging in discriminatory or unreasonable practices that burden or restrict U.S. commerce.
Background Report — Congressional Research Service – Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 – August 2020
How does it affect trade?
Section 232 - National security concerns
What is it?
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962—Allows the president to adjust imports if the Department of Commerce finds certain products are imported in such quantities or under such circumstances as to threaten to impair U.S. national security.
Background Report — Congressional Research Service – Section 232 Investigations: Overview and Issues for Congress – August 2020
How does it affect trade?
Section 201 – Cause/threat to domestic industry
What is it?
Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974—Allows the president to impose temporary duties and other trade measures if the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determines a surge in imports is a substantial cause or threat of serious injury to a U.S. industry.
Background Report — Congressional Research Service – Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 – August 2018
How does it affect trade?
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Trade strategies to consider
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Trade & Tariff FAQs
Q: What is a tariff?
Tariffs or duties are taxes assessed on imports of foreign goods, paid by the importer to the U.S. government, and collected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Current U.S. tariff rates may be found in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) maintained by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the sole authority to regulate foreign commerce and therefore impose tariffs, but, through various trade laws, Congress has delegated authority to the president to modify tariffs and other trade restrictions under certain circumstances.1
Q: What are various types of import restrictions that can be imposed by the government?
Tariffs – A tax on imports of foreign goods paid by the importer. Ad valorem tariffs are assessed as a percentage of the value of the import (e.g., a tax of 25% on the value of an imported truck). Specific tariffs are assessed at a fixed rate based on the quantity of the import (e.g. 7.7% per kilogram of imported almonds), and are most common on agricultural imports.
Quotas – A restriction on the total allowable amount of imports based either on the quantity or value of goods imported. Quotas are in place on a limited number of U.S. imports, mostly agricultural commodities, in part due to past trade agreements to remove and prohibit them.
Tariff-Rate Quota (TRQ) –TRQs involve a two-tiered tariff scheme in which the tariff rate changes depending on the level of imports. Below a specific value or quantity of imports, a lower tariff rate applies. Once this threshold is reached, all additional imports face a higher, sometimes prohibitive, tariff rate.
Q: Have U.S. trading partners taken or proposed retaliatory trade actions?
Yes. Some U.S. trading partners subject to the additional U.S. import restrictions have taken or announced proposed retaliations against each of the three U.S. actions. Since April 2018, a number of retaliatory tariffs have been imposed on U.S. goods accounting for $126 billion of U.S. annual exports, using 2017 export values.
Q: How much has the U.S. government collected from the various trade remedy measures?
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) assesses and collects duties on U.S. imports, including the additional duties imposed as a result of the president’s tariff actions. As of September 9, 2020, U.S. CBP has reported the following duty assessments.
Q: Are products of Hong Kong subject to the additional Section 301 duties against China?
No. Additional duties imposed by the Section 301 remedy only apply to articles that are products of the People’s Republic of China (ISO Country Code CN). Imported goods that are legitimately the product of Hong Kong (HK) or Macau (MO) are not subject to the additional Section 301 duties. Please note that Section 301 duties are based on country of origin, not country of export.2
Q: Are Section 301 duties eligible for drawback?
As noted in CSMS Message 18-000419, Section 301 duties are eligible for duty drawback. Drawback is the refund of certain duties, internal revenue taxes, and certain fees collected upon the importation of goods. Such refunds are only allowed upon the exportation or destruction of goods under U.S. Customs and Border Protection supervision.
Q: What is the timing of duty calculations on immediate transportation in bond entries subject to Section 301?
Duties are due on goods that are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the effective date of the provisional tariffs. For entries covered by an entry for immediate transportation, and with a country of origin of China, and a Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) classification covered by Annex A to the FRN, such entries shall be subject to the duty rates in effect when the immediate transportation entry was accepted at the port of original importation, pursuant to 19 CFR 141.69 (b), which states:
Merchandise which is not subject to a quantitative or tariff-rate quota and which is covered by an entry for immediate transportation made at the port of original importation, if entered for consumption at the port designated by the consignee or his agent in such transportation entry without having been taken into custody by the port director for general order under section 490, Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1490), shall be subject to the rates in effect when the immediate transportation entry was accepted at the port of original importation.
Q: Are products entered under the Section 321 de minimis exemption (under $800) subject to Section 301 duties?
No, not right now. Goods properly entered under Section 321 are not subject to Section 301 duties. Please note that a formal entry is required if a shipment contains merchandise subject to AD/CVD. Goods subject to AD/CVD do not qualify for Section 321. Something to keep an eye on: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) submitted a proposal in early September 2020 to the Office of Management and Budget that would eliminate the $800 de minimis exemption for goods subject to Section 301 tariffs. Remember, Section 321, 19 USC 1321 is the statute that describes de minimis. De minimis provides admission of articles free of duty and of any tax imposed on or by reason of importation, but the aggregate fair retail value in the country of shipment of articles imported by one person on one day and exempted from the payment of duty shall not exceed $800. The de minimis threshold was previously $200, but increased with the passage of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act (TFTEA).
Q: Can I still apply for exclusions to the Section 301 (China) tariffs?
The time window to submit new exclusion requests is now closed, but the USTR is considering extensions of exclusions granted from Lists 1, 2, 3, and 4. While the USTR approved, on average, 35% of requests under the first two actions, the approval rates under the third and fourth actions were 5% and 7%, respectively.3 Be sure to check in with your trusted trade advisors to see if new comment periods open.
Q: Are products used to support the fight against COVID-19 subject to the additional Section 301 (China) tariffs?
The USTR announced on March 20, 2020, that, prior to theCOVID-19 outbreak, the agency had been working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services “to ensure that critical medicines and other essential medical products were not subject to additional Section 301 tariffs.” Consequently, the United States had not imposed tariffs on certain critical products, such as ventilators, oxygen masks, and nebulizers. Moreover, the USTR indicated that, in recent months, it has prioritized the review of requests for exclusions on medical care products, resulting in exclusions granted on basic medical supplies, including gloves, soaps, face masks, surgical drapes, and hospital gowns. Since March 2020, the USTR has exempted certain medical products from Section 301 tariffs in several rounds of exclusions.3
Q: How do I find out if my product is subject to Section 301 tariff duties?
Enter the product’s harmonized tariff schedule (HTS) classification on the USTR website. In addition, you can refer to our exclusive guide to quickly search both the Section 301 tariff lists but also identify if there are any exclusion opportunities. Talk to your Trusted Advisor® expert at C.H. Robinson to learn more.
Q: Do Section 301 (China) duties still apply if I ship goods to another country, such as Canada or Mexico, and have them packaged there before entering the commerce of the United States?
Yes. Basic changes/processes such as packaging, cleaning, and sorting would not change the country of origin to be declared in most cases. The origin would still be China and therefore the Section 301 duties would still apply.
Q: If I previously paid Section 301 (China) duties, but an exclusion was later issued by the United States Trade Representative (USTR), can I get my money back?
Yes. You have the opportunity to potentially recover duties paid on previous entry activity. Your customs broker, trade attorney, or trade consultant can submit a refund request via Post Summary Correction (PSC) or Protest as long as the entry has not exceeded the liquidation date plus 180-day time period (roughly 480 days from the original entry date). Remember, your company doesn’t have to be the one that requested the exclusion in the first place. You qualify as long as your product meets the specific description of the exclusion granted by the USTR.
Q: Does U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) pay interest when refunding duties previously paid?
Yes! CBP does pay interest from the date the original money was deposited. The current interest rates are published in the Federal Register on a quarterly basis. Review the most recent Federal Register Notice for the latest rates.
References
1. Congressional Research Service – Trump Administration Tariff Actions (Sections 201, 232, and 301): FAQs
2. Section 301 Trade Remedies Frequently Asked Questions
3. Congressional Research Service - Section 301: Tariff Exclusions on U.S. Imports from China
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How Acme Industries Developed & Executed a U.S. Import/Export Customs Compliance Program | C.H. Robinson
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All content and materials discussed herein are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. You should always independently check the related Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and, if needed, consult with the applicable Federal Agency (e.g. CBP, USTR) and/or external counsel where any question or doubt exists. Information on this site is the property of C.H. Robinson. Any transmission or use without C.H. Robinson’s permission and approval is not allowed or authorized.