A bipartisan group of legislators urges the country’s two neighbors to use U.S. law as a model to keep out imports that can be traced to China’s Xinjiang region.
Canada and Mexico should take stronger measures to block the import of goods made with China-based forced labor, a group of U.S. lawmakers said, pointing to risks that importers might be trying to use the two countries to ship illicit merchandise stateside.
The two U.S. neighbors should consider passing laws to match a U.S. ban on most imports that can be traced to China’s Xinjiang region, a major exporter of cotton and solar-panel components and an alleged forced labor hot spot, a bipartisan group of lawmakers said in a letter sent to U.S., Canadian and Mexican trade officials and released Tuesday.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), right, and Rep. Chris Smith (R., N.J.) are signatories to a letter urging Canada and Mexico to toughen their laws on imports from Xinjiang, China. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images
The lawmakers—Rep. Chris Smith (R., N.J.), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D., Ore.), Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) and Rep. Jim McGovern (D., Mass.)—all serve on the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China, a government body that acts as a China human-rights watchdog.
Representatives for the Canadian and Mexican embassies in Washington didn’t respond to requests for comment.
A crackdown on goods tied to Xinjiang, home to the Uyghur people and other minority groups, began in 2022 and has been a key element of U.S. trade policy toward China. Under the federal Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, all merchandise linked to Xinjiang is assumed to be made with forced labor and can be blocked from entry. China denies allegations of human rights abuses in the region.
Observers have worried, however, that Canada and Mexico might be avenues to evade the U.S. crackdown on imports tied to Xinjiang. On Tuesday, the lawmakers pointed to reports that solar panels, denied entry stateside, were subsequently shipped to Canada for an attempted re-entry into the U.S. The U.S. lawmakers want more cooperation from Canada and Mexico to stop such transshipment.
“There is more to be done,” the lawmakers said. “We hope that the UFLPA can serve as a model for similar legislation in Canada and Mexico so that North America can truly be a region free of goods produced through forced labor.”
Canada agreed to block the import of forced labor-linked merchandise as part of the new free-trade agreement negotiated during the Trump administration. As of last month, Canada had intercepted about 50 shipments, most of which were ultimately allowed through, according to a spokeswoman for the Canada Border Services Agency.
Last year, the country also passed a law aimed at exposing forced labor in supply chains, though critics said it fell short. The law doesn’t add new bans, but requires companies to report on parts of their supply chains where forced labor might be occurring.
Under the UFLPA, the U.S. has held for review or permanently denied entry to about 5,200 shipments worth $1.10 billion, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Canada has also recently faced pressure from activist groups to impose sanctions on companies linked to state surveillance in Xinjiang.
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