US details Chinese aluminum, a suspected product of forced labor

The US is issuing notices to buyers that it is detaining certain aluminum products coming from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, shipping company AP Moller-Maersk A/S said on its website.

“US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has begun issuing detention notices against aluminum products under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA),” Maersk said. The action will most likely target aluminum used in automotive parts. 

The US imports virtually no primary aluminum from China, and less than 24,000 metric tons of value-added products per month, according to US trade data. The US House in 2021 passed legislation designed to punish China for its treatment of Uyghur Muslims living in one of the country’s far western regions. 

The CBP, which was already enforcing detentions of cotton, polysilicon and tomatoes under the UFLPA, in late December or early January began issuing detention notices naming aluminum as a fourth product, according to law firm Miller & Chevalier.