The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) has issued a stark warning to Congress and the administration, calling for urgent and robust measures to address the surge of imports tainted by forced labor, narcotics, and counterfeits originating from China.
NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas delivered this message during her testimony at a congressional hearing on "Exploitation and Enforcement: Evaluating the Department of Homeland Security's Efforts to Counter Uyghur Forced Labor."
Glas highlighted the influx of Chinese cotton products produced under abhorrent conditions, particularly in Xinjiang, flooding global markets and indirectly making their way to the United States.
This has led to forced labor textiles infiltrating American supply chains, causing textile plants to idle and workers to lose their jobs, while some companies have shuttered entirely.
The urgency of the matter lies in the fact that Congress is failing to stop forced labor trade, despite the enactment of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Glas also pointed to the misuse of the de minimis provision in trade law, allowing illicit goods to enter the U.S. unchecked.
She stressed the need for immediate action, including closing the de minimis loophole, increasing customs enforcement, expanding the UFLPA Entity List, and enhancing penalties and inspections to combat this alarming trend.
NCTO urged Congress and the administration to take swift and decisive action to extinguish this economic, health, and human rights crisis, protecting American companies and workers from exploitation while preserving the nation's manufacturing base.
