Under a 2016 law, it is illegal to import goods into the United States that are made entirely or in part by forced labour - which includes prison work, bonded labour and child labour. "CBP's issuing of these five withhold release orders shows that if we suspect a product is made using forced labour, we'll take that product off US shelves," he said in a statement. More than $400 billion worth of goods likely to be made by forced labour enter the US market each year, according to estimates by the Human Trafficking Institute, a non-profit. "This is a clear signal to companies that they need due diligence procedures in place that prevent forced labour in their supply chain if they want to sell in the United States." About 25 million people globally are victims of forced labour, according to the UN International Labour Organization.

Source: bd News24 October 01, 2019 22:52 UTC