Oct 6, 2020 - World

China tops list of countries exporting products made with forced labor

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

A new report from the U.S. Department of Labor ranks China as the top country of origin for goods produced through forced labor.

The big picture: China has long utilized prison labor, but new coerced labor schemes targeting Uighurs and other ethnic minorities now taint numerous industries in China.

Details: The Department of Labor's annual report lists the products and their countries of origin that have been traced back to forced labor and child labor.

  • In this year's report, a total of 17 Chinese goods made the list, including artificial flowers, Christmas decorations, clothes, shoes, fireworks, and products made with human hair.

Between the lines: U.S. law prohibits the importation of products made through forced labor. By labeling these categories of products as tainted by forced labor, the U.S. government is indicating it will be scrutinizing supply chains for links to factories that employ unfree labor.

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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

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Photo: Morry Gash/AP

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