President
Joe Biden will sign a new law banning products made with
Uyghurforced labor in
China, the
White House has confirmed, in a blow to corporate interests that have lobbied against stricter import standards. The bipartisan and bicameral
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act passed the
Houseby unanimous voice vote late on Tuesday. Introduced to the lower chamber by Rep.
Jim McGovern (D-MA), it is a compromise version of the bill authored by Senators
Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) last year.
The law places the burden of proof on American companies to demonstrate that imported goods were not mined, produced or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor.
It is set to become the strongest U.S. action against what successive administrations have described as gross human rights violations in
Xinjiang, a source of cotton products but also polysilicon, an important raw material in the manufacture of solar panels.
