The Department of Homeland Security has added Camel Group and Chenguang Biotech Group to its list of entities barred from doing business in the United States over concerns that the two China-based companies use forced labor.
The interagency Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, headed by the DHS, flagged the companies for practices that target members of persecuted groups in China, particularly Uyghur minorities.
Camel Group, located in Hubei province, manufactures lead-acid battery products while Chenguang Biotech Group, a supplier of agricultural products, is headquartered in the province of Hebei but operates a subsidiary within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
According to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the department’s action supports the U.S. government’s commitment to hold organizations accountable for any human rights violations.
President Joe Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act into law in December 2021. Under UFLPA, Customs and Border Protection has so far reviewed over 4,600 shipments amounting to over $1.64 billion.
The new additions bring to 24 the total number of companies banned from exporting goods to the U.S. under UFLPA, DHS said.