National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas has voiced strong support for a letter from House Select Committee leaders urging Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to intensify enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). The letter, spearheaded by Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), emphasizes the urgent need to combat unfair trade practices facilitating the importation of goods produced with forced labor.
Glas highlights the devastating impact of the UFLPA's incomplete enforcement and the de minimis loophole on the U.S. textile and apparel industry. The surge of Chinese cotton from Xinjiang, notorious for forced labor practices, poses a significant threat to American manufacturers. The call for immediate action resonates as the textile industry faces unprecedented demand destruction and challenges exacerbated by lax customs and trade law enforcement.
The NCTO emphasizes the urgency of addressing fraudulent origin claims and the de minimis loophole, which allows millions of illegal products to flood the market daily. Failure to curb these practices not only jeopardizes American manufacturers and workers but also endangers crucial supply chains producing essential goods, including life-saving personal protective equipment (PPE) and military products.
Glas concludes by stressing the imperative of a comprehensive government solution to confront China's predatory trade practices and prevent the infiltration of forced labor products into the U.S. market. The fate of domestic and Western Hemisphere supply chains hangs in the balance, with potential repercussions for factory closures and worker layoffs if immediate action is not taken.
