U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as stated on the official website, issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) against the company Serbia Zijin Copper, which applies to copper and copper products produced in Serbia.
It is indicated that the Decision enters into force immediately, and CBP officers at all ports of entry into the United States of America will withhold shipments of these products, due to evidence pointing to the possible use of forced labor in their production.
This is, as written on the website, the fourth such order issued in the fiscal year 2026, and it was brought due to a violation of Section 1307 of the U.S. Tariff Act, which prohibits the import of goods produced by forced labor.
It is emphasized that when CBP possesses evidence that imported goods were produced in such a manner, the agency takes action and withholds shipments through WRO orders.
“American manufacturers face unfair competition when foreign companies cut costs by using forced labor,” said the Executive Assistant Commissioner of the CBP Office of Trade, Susan S. Thomas. “By enforcing laws against forced labor, CBP protects human rights, but also the economic security of our country.”
The order is, as noted, the result of a CBP investigation and analysis of information indicating that Serbia Zijin Copper produces copper and copper products using forced labor.
“During the process, worker testimonies, photographs, notes from field interviews, recordings of text messages, publicly available reports from non-governmental organizations, media articles, and academic research were analyzed,” it is clarified.
EVIDENCE POINTS TO 6 INDICATORS OF FORCED LABOR
According to CBP claims, the collected evidence points out that “workers in the company are exposed to six indicators of forced labor defined by the International Labor Organization (ILO): abuse of vulnerability, withholding of wages, intimidation and threats, restriction of movement, retention of identity documents, and excessive overtime.”
Based on these facts, it is stated that the U.S. authorities believe there is reasonable suspicion that workers are working against their will and under menace of penalty. Below, it is written that import data also show that these products are imported or could be imported into the USA.
“The order against Serbia Zijin Copper represents part of the continuous activities of CBP in the fight against forced labor. Following this decision, CBP monitors and enforces a total of 56 Withhold Release Orders and eight formal findings under Section 1307 of the Tariff Act,” it is stated.
Importers whose shipments are withheld can “destroy them or export them from the USA, or attempt to prove that the goods were not produced using forced labor.”
It is also added that CBP receives information about possible forced labor from various sources, including state institutions, media, non-governmental organizations, and citizens.
“Any person or organization who has reason to believe that goods produced by forced labor are being imported or could be imported into the USA can submit a report through a special CBP portal for reporting such cases,” it is concluded.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the largest federal law enforcement organization in the USA and the first unified border management agency in the world.
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