U.S. bans Chinese firms in Uyghur region as Beijing fights forced labor claims

The U.S. has added two new Chinese companies to a Xinjiang trade blacklist over forced labor accusations. The move comes just one week after Beijing retaliated against claims of human rights violations in the region and related "discriminatory measures" from American companies.

The Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday that a Chinese steel manufacturer and an artificial sweetener maker would be placed on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List. 

The list, which now includes 75 entities, bans imports that are made in full or in part in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Region, based on the assumption that forced labor of China's Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities was used in their manufacturing. 

"Today's actions reaffirm our commitment to eliminating forced labor from U.S. supply chains and upholding our values of human rights for all," said Robert Silvers, under secretary for policy at the Department of Homeland Security, in a statement. 

The firms are the first in their respective industries to be added to the list. Many of the prior companies added have been involved in Xinjiang's large cotton and textile industries. 

"No sector is off-limits. We will continue to identify entities across industries and hold accountable those who seek to profit from exploitation and abuse," Silvers said. 

The UFLPA was signed into law in December 2021 after the U.S. claimed it had growing evidence that the Chinese government was detaining and exploiting Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim population, and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang, for years. 

China has continually denied such allegations. Amid deteriorating relations between the U.S. and China, the entity list has become yet another factor