US adds 5 Chinese firms to export restrictions list over forced labour & abuse allegations

In a recent overseas development, the United States enlisted five Chinese companies on its Entity List that curtails their ability to receive exports, on the account of human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang province. 

On Wednesday, the US Commerce Department said in a document, "Specifically, the (authority) determined that Xinjiang GCL New Energy Material Technology; Xinjiang Daqo New Energy; Xinjiang East Hope NonFerrous Metals; Hoshine Silicon Industry (Shanshan); and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps are engaging in activities contrary to the foreign policy interests of the US through participating in the practice of, accepting, or utilizing forced labour."

The US government has determined that the five Chinese entities have committed human rights violation against religious and ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region, including being engaged in a campaign of repression, forced labour and high-tech surveillance, Sputnik reported. 

The five companies will have additional license requirements and limited availability of most license exceptions for exports, re-exports and transfers to them.

The development annexes to a global string of similar bans recently imposed against Chinese companies. 

US' Ban on Seafood Imports From Chinese Fishing Fleet Over Forced Labour & Abuse 

Earlier this year, on the account of forced labour by China, the US banned the import of seafood from a fleet of Chinese fishing vessels. The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) imposed an import ban on seafood from China's fishing fleet that the US agency claimed to have engaged in forced labour including abuses against several Indonesian workers on its 32 vessels.

CBP officials had claimed that their year-long investigation reasonably indicates the main signs of forced labour on the 32 vessels owned or operated by Dalian Ocean Fishing Co. Ltd., inclusive of physical violence inflicted on workers, withholding of wages and restricting movements. During an investigation, CBP claims to have identified 11 of the International Labour Organisation's indicators of forced labour including physical violence, withholding of wages and abusive working and living conditions. 

Previous bans 

Trump administration, during its last week in Office, announced an import ban on all cotton and tomato products from Xinjiang over allegations that they were produced with Uyghur forced labour compelling apparel industries to rearrange supply chains. The recent ban supplements the US's attempt to punish China over repression against the Indonesian bonded labours at Dalian Ocean Fishing.

China has been the sole target of import bans in recent years on account of forced labour concerns, repression against Uyghur Muslims and their mass detention camps. 

US-China relations harden over time

This latest action comes amid rising tension between the two countries over issues including human rights violations, trade and China's military aggression. Back in April, the US had restricted trade with top Chinese supercomputing centres, as these capabilities can be used for the development of modern weapons and national security systems. 

US Department of Commerce had tweeted, "Commerce implements new exports controls on China, adding 7 Chinese entities to the Entity list in response to their involvement with China's military, its destabilizing military modernization efforts, and/ or its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program."