The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced an updated strategy for its efforts to prevent imports of items produced using forced labor in China, with several product lines set to receive an additional focus.

Under the revised Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), the agency's Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force has identified aluminum, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and seafood as high-priority areas. According to the DHS, these sectors have been determined to be at higher risk of forced labor or state labor transfer of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region of China.

This will mean that importers working with such goods may have to undertake tougher processes to ensure their supply chains are compliant with US law.

Other items that were already designated as high-priority areas under the UFLPA include apparel, cotton and cotton products, silica-based goods including polysilicon, and tomatoes and downstream products.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas commented: “The updated Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Strategy and new high-priority sectors for enforcement announced today reflect the evolving and expanding scope of those who seek to circumvent the law and profit off the exploitation of abused people."

The updated strategy comes shortly after the DHS added three more entities to the UFLPA Entity List, which brings the total number of China-based companies whose goods are restricted from entering the United States to 68.

Troy Miller, senior official at Customs and Border Protection (CBP), added that in the two years since the introduction of the UFLPA, businesses have been shifting their behavior in order to ensure their supply chains are free of forced labor.

He also noted that so far, CBP has denied entry to nearly 3,500 shipments valued at over $695 million, further highlighting to importers the importance of ensuring compliance with these rules.