The European Commission proposed a ban on the sale of forced labor products in the European Union on Wednesday.
While no countries are listed in the proposal, it is seen as a move to add pressure on China, in addition to moves by the United States. It comes after a call from the European Parliament to pass such a law after human rights violations were alleged in China’s Xinjiang region.
China has been accused of abusing the largely Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang, with the United States accusing China of genocide in the region. China denies any abuses in the region. The United States banned the importation of goods from Xinjiang in 2021.
Under the proposal, member countries would be required to appoint “competent authorities” to determine if products were created by forced labor and ban their sale in the country. The ban would apply to all levels of production, including the extraction and harvest of raw materials and the production of components.
Amendments to the proposal are expected before it is voted on. If passed, the proposal is not expected to affect supply chains in a major way, but it could cause companies to take a closer look at where they source their components and materials.
The proposal cites the International Labour Organization, which says more than 27.6 million people are used in forced labor in the world. It also notes that an estimated 15.1 million forced laborers reside in the Asia Pacific region.
However, it is worth pointing out that US prison labor accounts for the production of $2 billion in goods annually, in addition to another $9 billion in services. While it could be argued some of that is not forced labor because prisoners sometimes volunteer for work, 76% of prison laborers report that they were forced to work or face additional punishment, including solitary confinement.
While the 13th amendment of the United States Constitution banned slavery in the United States, it made an exception for those incarcerated after being convicted of a crime.
It is not clear if the proposal would affect goods created in the United States using prison labor. When asked, a spokesperson for the European Commission referred Sputnik to a press information sheet. Follow-up questions remained unanswered at press time.