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US May Ban Cotton-Made Products from China's Xinjiang Region: New York Times

VOA News

   The New York Timeson Tuesday reportsthe Trump administration is
   considering imposing a ban on some or all products made with cotton
   from China's Xinjiang regionamid reportsof forced laborand other human
   rights violations.

   Quoting "three people familiar with the matter," thenewspaper
   saidtheU.S. action could come as early as Tuesday. Itwouldfollowrecent
   studies and news reports documenting how groups of people in Xinjiang,
   especially the largely Uighur Muslim and Kazakh minorities, have been
   recruited into programs that assign them to work in factories, cotton
   farms, textile mills and menial jobs in cities.

   Xinjiang is a major source of cotton and textiles used by many of the
   world's largest and best-known clothing brands. A newspaper says a ban
   could result in a "stampede" of major apparel brands from China.

   The Timessays the ban would be issued by the U.S. Customs and Border
   Protection,agency, whichhasin the pastput outsuchordersagainst
   individual companies suspected of using forced labor in Xinjiang.

   The Trumpadministration has repeatedly criticized China over its harsh
   crackdown of Xinjiang's minority ethnic Muslims, especially the mass
   incarceration of as many as 1 million Uighursand other Muslim
   minorities.

   President Donald Trump signed legislation back in Junethat he said
   wouldhold accountable the perpetrators of human rights violations and
   abuses including forced labor, the use of indoctrination campsand other
   measures that he said are meant to eradicate the religious beliefs of
   Uighurs and other minorities in China.

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