The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on Tuesday it has begun seizing merchandise from three Chinese companies due to their alleged use of North Korean labor, which is presumed under U.S. federal law to be forced labor unless proven otherwise.
A CBP investigation found that the companies—Jingde Trading Ltd., Rixin Foods. Ltd., and Zhejiang Sunrise Garment Group Co. Ltd.—had allegedly used North Korean labor in their supply chains, which is in violation of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
CAATSA, a federal law signed in 2017, prohibits items “mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in party” by North Korean nationals or citizens anywhere in the world, “unless clear and convincing evidence is provided” that the goods were not made via forced labor, the CBP stated….