The United States has taken a bold step in enforcing its fight against forced labour, banning for the first time a Chinese steel manufacturer and a sweetener maker from exporting their products to the US under the Forced Labour Act.

This unprecedented move underscores the growing global emphasis on ethical labour practices and signals that businesses failing to uphold fundamental human rights will face substantial consequences.

Earlier this week, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added two Chinese companies to its list of firms banned from exporting their products to the United States.

This action is part of a larger initiative to safeguard US supply chains from products linked to forced labour practices in China’s Xinjiang region.

“Today’s actions reaffirm our commitment to eliminating forced labor from U.S. supply chains and upholding our values of human rights for all,” said Robert Silvers, DHS Undersecretary for Policy, in a statement on October 2.

Silvers, who also leads the federal task force responsible for creating the entity list, added, “No sector is off-limits. We will continue to identify entities across industries and hold accountable those who seek to profit from exploitation and abuse.”