Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) is a US law, effective June 21, 2022, that presumes goods made wholly or partly in China's Xinjiang region, or by listed entities, use forced labor and bars them from import.
Why it matters for ecommerce brands
A UFLPA detention can hold your goods for months, and brands usually get them released only if they mapped their supply chain in advance. The law presumes forced labor for goods with any Xinjiang input or a link to an entity on the UFLPA Entity List. For example, if CBP detains $150,000 of cotton T-shirts, you may need to trace the yarn, fabric, and cotton back to the farms with documents. Without that proof, the goods may be excluded while storage charges add up. Require origin records from suppliers before you place orders.
Origin
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act was signed in December 2021 and took effect in June 2022, presuming goods made in Xinjiang involve forced labor unless importers prove otherwise.
Common questions
- What happens if CBP detains my shipment under UFLPA?
- The importer must either show with clear and convincing evidence that the goods are not linked to Xinjiang or listed entities, or that they are not made with forced labor. Without that proof, the goods may be excluded and must be exported or destroyed.
- What is the UFLPA Entity List?
- It is a list of companies the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, led by DHS, has tied to Xinjiang or related forced labor programs. Goods made wholly or partly by a listed entity are presumed barred, even if made outside Xinjiang.
- Does UFLPA apply to goods made outside China?
- Yes. It applies to any goods containing inputs from Xinjiang or from listed entities, wherever final production happens. CBP has detained goods from countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia that used Chinese inputs.