The Better Cotton Initiative has confirmed Anhui Xinya New Materials Co., Ltd, which was named on the UFLPA entity list on 8 December, is a member of its initiative.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) explained that from 11 December Anhui Xinya New Materials Co., Ltd, along with two other companies - Cofco Sugar Holding Co. Ltd and Sichuan Jingweida Technology Group Co., Ltd. - are now restricted from entering the US as a result of their "participation in business practices that target members of persecuted groups, including Uyghur minorities in the PRC".
These three new additions bring the total number of companies on the UFLPA Entity List to 30.
The interagency Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF), chaired by DHS said the company's activities of participating in government-sponsored labour transfer programmes and recruiting persecuted minorities to work in its facilities have met the criteria for inclusion on the UFLPA Entity List.
A spokesperson for Better Cotton told Just Style that Anhui Xinya New Materials Co., Ltd has a 30-day window to engage with authorities to address its inclusion, in line with Better Cotton’s monitoring protocol for members placed under authoritative listings.
The spokesperson added that during this time Anhui Xinya New Materials Ltd. will not have access to the Better Cotton Platform (BCP) and pointed out that "companies still included in authoritative listings after that time will be suspended as a Better Cotton Member".
Anhui Xinya New Materials Co., Ltd., (Xinya New Materials) is headquartered in Anhui Province, China and produces functional fibres, special fibre yarns and other textile materials made with hemp and materials made with cotton, wool, Tencel, and other products.
DHS said: "Xinya New Materials worked with an established government-sponsored labour transfer programme, Xinjiang Aid, to recruit and transfer persecuted minorities from Pishan County in Xinjiang to work in its facility in Anhui Province."
It added the FLETF determined the activities of Xinya New Materials satisfy the criteria for addition to the UFLPA Entity List under Section 2(d)(2)(B)(ii) of the UFLPA.
The other two additions to the list are from outside the apparel sector. COFCO Sugar Holdings Co., Ltd, is headquartered in Xinjiang and refines, produces, and imports sugar and Sichuan Jingweida Technology Group Co., Ltd is headquartered in Sichuan Province and produces magnetic devices including network transformers.
The under-secretary for policy, Robert Silvers, who serves as chair of the FLETF said: “Companies must conduct due diligence and know their supply chains. The interagency Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force will continue to designate entities known to violate our laws, and US Customs and Border Protection will continue its vigilant enforcement at our ports.”
Homeland Security secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas added: “The Department of Homeland Security remains committed to eradicating the use of forced labour and holding organisations accountable for their human rights abuses.
“Since President Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, DHS has prioritised enforcement, and we will continue to pursue companies that ignore the law and exploit those abused in the People’s Republic of China.”
The UFLPA, signed into law by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. in December 2021, aims to eliminate forced labour practices in the US supply chain and address human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
