The implementation ban on Xinjiang goods may be the first domino to fall

According to the sources of foreign media, U.S. authorities are expected to make the "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)" effective on June 21 and will impose import bans on commodities from the Xinjiang region, China in accordance with this act.

In December 2021, U.S. President Biden signed the UFLPA to prevent Xinjiang commodities from flowing into the U.S. market. The "UFLPA" includes a system with a core concept of "rebuttable presumption", which means that unless it is certified by the U.S. authorities as free from forced labor, it will be presumed that all products manufactured in Xinjiang use forced labor and are prohibited to be imported. The "UFLPA" clearly states that the clause of "rebuttable presumption" will come into effect on June 21, 180 days after the promulgation of the act.

From the content of the act, the Xinjiang-related act first presumes all products mined, produced, and manufactured in Xinjiang to be suspected of "forced labor", and no longer distinguish product categories, unless the producer and exporter can prove their "innocence". As for how to prove that there is no "forced labor" for their products, according to the information available, the standards are not clear enough, and the proof materials are not clear enough, which gives the customs and relevant law enforcement agencies a lot of discretion, and makes it difficult to control the risk boundary and follow the standards. U.S. retailer Dillard Company said that the U.S. government's "Withhold and Release Order" will affect the global supply chain, including the company's cotton-containing products. The legislation that completely blocks commodity imports from Xinjiang could lead to higher commodity costs and have an impact on corporate profits.

In general, the "UFLPA" is very lethal and must not be treated lightly. Besides, the promulgation of this act represents the beginning of a sharp rightward turn in the policies of the two parties and the establishment in the U.S. towards China. The "UFLPA" is only the beginning, which may be the first falling domino. If we let the situation continue, in the next step, U.S. authorities may apply the precedent of the "UFLPA" to fields related to Tibet, Hong Kong, and even defense and military enterprises to indiscriminately attack China's industries! The reason is already there for them to use! Human rights are really a good guise. Even the "forced labor" in Xinjiang, which is an act of calling white black, can be used as a reason for the U.S. government to indiscriminately attack Xinjiang's industries. What else can’t the U.S. government do?