U.S. LAWMAKERS SEND CLEAR MESSAGE ABOUT FORCED LABOUR

The US addressed the issue of China's systemic repression in Xinjiang, where Uyghur and other groups face forced labour, among other human rights abuses, with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).

- DEAN BAXENDALE

On September 24, US lawmakers sent a diplomatic "warning shot" in the form of a letter to ministers responsible for trade in Canada, Mexico, and the US. The letter, authored by US lawmakers from the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), holds Canada and Mexico accountable for their lack of enforcement of provisions that bar forced, slave, and child labour products from entering North American supply chains.

Congressman Chris Smith (New Jersey) and Senator Jeff Merkley (Oregon), who jointly chair the CECC, strike a tone of cooperation and goodwill among partners. However, beneath these diplomatic overtures lies a clear message to Mexico and Canada: America will no longer tolerate being undermined by its allies, who have thus far prioritized appeasement over action regarding trade with China. The Canadian Border Services Agency, for example, has inspected just 50 shipments and has yet to block a single one from Xinjiang, a region notorious for producing goods-such as solar panels, cotton, tomatoes, and electronics-using forced and child labour.

"We write to lend support to efforts to continue robust implementation of Article 23.6 of the United-States-MexicoCanada (USMCA) trade agreement, which prohibits ... the importation of goods produced in whole or in part by forced or compulsory labour' between our three nations." The letter, addressed to Canada's Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade, and Economic Development, Mary Ng, raises critical questions about the future of North American trade relations-particularly regarding forced labour concerns linked to Xinjiang. It calls for greater cooperation under Article 23.6 of the USMCA to combat the importation of goods produced through forced labour.

The backdrop to this letter is China's systemic repression in Xinjiang, where Uyghur and other groups face forced labour, among other human rights abuses.