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The US has banned the importation of Chinese fishermen | Human Rights Issues

Officials say this is the first time the US has banned foreign shipping, unlike any other ship.

Customs and Border Protection in the United States on Friday passed a law banning the purchase of Chinese seafood that the agency says it is using forced labor on its 32 ships, including the torture of numerous Indonesian crews.

CBP said it would soon catch tuna, fishfish and other items from Dalian Ocean Fishing Co Ltd at ports in the United States. “Export restrictions” that prohibit exports also apply to other seafood products from the company, such as canned fish and pet food, said a CBP official.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said this was the first time that CBP had banned the export of goods, as opposed to ships that had already entered.

“The DHS will continue to vigorously investigate forced labor and remote shipping, as well as in various other industries,” Mayorkas told reporters. “Manufacturers and importers who are importing Americans need to understand that there will be consequences for organizations that try to exploit their customers in the United States.”

CBP officials say the agency’s research shows that many Indonesian employees employed by Dalian Ocean Fishing ships have found conditions that are very different from what they expected and that they have been abused, unpaid, debt-ridden and abusive.

In a statement, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the U.S. would step up its crackdown on those who use force to “profit” and ensure that “no voice is heard and protected”.

“The current situation helps to prevent human rights activists from benefiting from forced labor,” according to reports. “It’s another example of the United States taking action to address the problem. ‘

Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Katherine Tai addressed the issue of pressure on fishermen, and offered a new perspective on the World Trade Organization’s ban on illegal fishing assistance and called on member states to address the problem.

U.S. sales from Dalian Ocean Fishing are minimal, with only $ 233,000 in the 2020 fiscal year, CBP reports.

But the issue of coercion is highlighting the relationship between the US and China, after a series of foreign sanctions linked to the detention of Uighur Muslims in China west of Xinjiang. The move comes less than two days after Tai first held talks with Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Liu He.

The Trump administration, last week in office in January, announced a ban on the importation of all cotton and tomato products in Xinjiang on the grounds that they are made by forced laborers in Uighur – a major way that would require the textile and textile industry to re-examine the chains they offer.




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