CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2024, 1:00 PM
Contact: contact@campaignforuyghurs.org
+1 650-703-4523
Washington, D.C. – Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) welcomes the Biden-Harris Administration’s recent announcement to address the abuse of the de minimis exemption, a mechanism that has been exploited to allow goods made with Uyghur forced labor in East Turkistan to enter the United States. This long-awaited reform, if enacted, will help close the primary pathway that has allowed products tainted with Uyghur forced labor to flow into American markets.
The de minimis exemption, allowing duty-free entry for goods valued under $800, has been used as a major loophole exploited by platforms like Shein and Temu, which are responsible for over 30 percent of daily duty-free U.S. shipments and half of all duty-exempt shipments originating from China. Originally designed to reduce trade barriers in a less interconnected world, this provision has become a backdoor for Chinese companies to exploit the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). Uyghur forced labor fuels global supply chains in industries such as textiles, polysilicon for solar panels, and agricultural products, including tomatoes and cotton. Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has publically emphasized DHS’s commitment to closing the de minimis loophole to strengthen the UFLPA’s ability to block goods made with the forced labor of Uyghurs from entering the U.S. market.
CFU Executive Director Rushan Abbas lauded the administration’s efforts and called for immediate action. “It is important that the administration has signaled its readiness to close the de minimis loophole. We must recognize the gravity of the situation and swiftly turn this commitment into legislation. As far as the products made by the slavery of Uyghurs in East Turkistan entering the United States are concerned, this is not a loophole but a gaping wound. It is the primary way through which China circumvents our laws against forced labor,” Abbas said. “Now, more than ever, all branches of government must work together, take swift action, and close every avenue enabling forced labor. American consumers deserve to know that what they purchase is free from the stain of modern-day slavery.”
CFU calls on the U.S. Congress to urgently close the de minimis loophole to ensure that U.S. law unequivocally prohibits the importation of goods produced through Uyghur forced labor. Swift, comprehensive action is needed to protect consumers from unknowingly supporting forced labor and uphold the commitment to human rights and ethical trade.
