U.S. adds 43 companies to Uyghur forced labor import blacklist

The move, the first under the Trump administration, raises the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List to 187 companies and includes Hunan Aihua Group alongside firms in pharmaceuticals, metals, cotton, food processing and lithium.

Summary

The United States added 43 companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List on Friday, widening import restrictions tied to alleged forced labor involving Uyghurs and other minority groups in China. The additions include Hunan Aihua Group, one of China's leading capacitor manufacturers, along with companies operating in pharmaceuticals, metals, cotton, food processing and lithium production. The move is the first expansion of the list under President Donald Trump's administration and the largest single addition since the law took effect in December 2021, lifting the total number of listed entities from 144 to 187. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the blacklist is intended to block goods made with forced labor from entering the U.S. market and to hold accountable entities involved in such practices. Washington has long accused China of running detention camps for Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang, allegations Beijing denies.

Terms & Concepts
  • Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List: A U.S. blacklist of companies whose goods face import restrictions over suspected links to forced labor.
  • forced labor: Work performed under coercion or threat, often central to trade bans and human rights enforcement.
  • Xinjiang: A region in western China at the center of U.S. allegations involving Uyghurs and other minority groups.