The ESG register · United States

Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act

A rebuttable presumption of forced labour. Goods clear only on clear and convincing evidence of the chain.

Identifier: Public Law 117-78 (2021)
Status: in force
Applies: 2022-06-21
Supervisor: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force
Who is covered: Imports into the United States of goods made wholly or in part in Xinjiang or by listed entities.

Requirements in the text

Section 3(a)
Presumption against importation
Goods mined, produced or manufactured wholly or in part in Xinjiang or by listed entities are presumed made with forced labour and may not be imported into the United States. The presumption applies even where only one input originates there, regardless of where final assembly occurred. Customs detains the shipment without first having to show forced labour in the individual case.
Example — A shipment of cotton garments sewn in Vietnam is detained after the yarn is traced to a spinning mill in Xinjiang.
Section 3(b)
Clear and convincing evidence of the chain
The presumption can be rebutted only where the importer shows it complied with due diligence guidance, fully responded to the agency's inquiries, and demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that the good was not made with forced labour. The evidence must cover the full chain back to the raw material, with verifiable records such as purchase orders, production journals and transport documents. Exceptions are decided case by case and reported to Congress.
Example — The importer supplies traceability from bale number through spinning and weaving to the garment, with matching weights and dates at each step, and the shipment is released.

Official source — Congress.gov, Public Law 117-78 · read 2026-09-01 · Value chain and due diligence

Verifiable trust signals