Import inspection upgraded! US Customs seizes multiple batches of Xinjiang cotton products!

It is learned that according to foreign media reports, about 27% of the imported shoes and clothing seized by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in May were related to cotton produced in Xinjiang, China.

In June last year, the U.S. Customs banned all Xinjiang cotton products on the grounds of forced labor. In fact, as early as December 23, 2021, U.S. President Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) into law.

According to the Freedom of Information Act, 10 of the 37 garments seized by U.S. Customs in May were returned and identified as containing Xinjiang cotton. The documents also show that to date, U.S. Customs officials have seized three batches of shoes and clothing containing Xinjiang cotton from China, on December 22, 2022, April 11, 2023, and May 23, 2023.

Of the 86 tests conducted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 13 tests showed that the origin of the cotton was Xinjiang cotton, accounting for 15%. Most of them involved clothing such as underwear, jeans, T-shirts, baby onesies and dresses.

To assist in law enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has used isotope detection methods to identify and block imports of Xinjiang cotton products by linking cotton to specific geographic regions by analyzing the concentrations of stable elements such as carbon and hydrogen in crops and growing environments.

Eric Choy, director of trade remedies and enforcement at U.S. Customs, said isotope testing is not yet a "routine procedure" at U.S. Customs. He added that officials at individual U.S. ports could request testing if they receive allegations about specific shipments or suspect they have links to Xinjiang.

According to a federal report released last year, Xinjiang cotton production accounted for about 87% of China's production in 2020 and 2021, and 23% of the global supply. Although countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Bangladesh are the world's largest producers of cotton clothing and consumer goods, they still import a large amount of finished fabric from China. Therefore, many Xinjiang cotton products are still sold to the United States.

To ensure compliant imports, companies such as Victoria's Secret, Ralph Lauren and Shein have partnered with isotope testing company Oritain to verify the origin of cotton in their supply chains.

Since 2020, U.S. Customs has paid Oritain more than $1.3 million for cotton product testing. U.S. Customs officials say isotope testing alone is not enough to clear goods detained at U.S. ports for suspected links to Xinjiang. More retailers and manufacturers are using the analytical method to "spot check" links in the supply chain, from yarn to finished fabrics.

Editor ✎ Nicole/

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