The United States has expanded its import bans, targeting five additional Chinese companies due to alleged human rights abuses linked to the Uyghur population. This action is part of a broader effort to eliminate goods produced with forced labor from the U.S. supply chain.
The companies affected include Hong Kong-based Rare Earth Magnesium Technology Group Holdings and its parent company, Century Sunshine Group Holdings, which are involved in manufacturing magnesium fertilizer and magnesium alloy products. Also included is the Xinjiang Habahe Ashele Copper Co, a subsidiary of Zijin Mining Group Co, which is engaged in nonferrous metal mining.
These companies have been added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List, which restricts imports associated with what the U.S. government describes as ongoing genocide against minorities in China’s Xinjiang region. The list now comprises over 70 entities linked to various products, including cotton apparel, automotive parts, vinyl flooring, and solar panels.
The U.S. government has accused Chinese authorities of establishing labor camps for Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang, a claim that Beijing vehemently denies. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington dismissed the allegations as a “lie” propagated by anti-China forces, asserting that China will continue to protect the rights of its companies.