This March please join Crowell’s International Trade team for two webinar events. These 1-hour, CLE virtual events will cover the Russian invasion of Ukraine and what that means for companies, one year later, and discuss the current state of human rights and forced labor regulations in the U.S. and EU. More information about
Forced Labor/U.K. Modern Slavery Act
Congress Increases CBP’s Forced Labor Enforcement Budget to More Than $100 Million
At the end of December 2022, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. This Act contains a number of discretionary spending acts for different Departments, including the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2023. Per the Senate Committee on Appropriation, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriation Act for FY 2023 includes a total…
Forced Labor Court Case Ends with a Whimper
The U.S. Court of International Trade (“CIT”) issued a final opinion in Virtus Nutrition LLC’s (“Virtus”) challenge to Customs and Border Protection’s (“CBP”) detention of Malaysian palm oil imports, rejecting Vitrus’ request that the CIT confirm the importer’s right to re-export the shipment. Please see link to case [here].
CBP detained the shipment…
CBP Updates CTPAT Trade Compliance Handbook and Forced Labor Requirements
Yesterday U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released its updated Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) Trade Compliance handbook [here]. The handbook provides importers guidance on the internal controls needed to become a CTPAT Trade Compliance member, including guidance on the necessary requirements to ensure forced labor compliance. The CTPAT program provides benefits…
DHS Adds Entities and Sets Processes to Remove and Add Entities to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List
On August 4, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published notice adding entities to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act’s (UFLPA’s) Entity List. Per Section 2(d)(2)(B) of the UFLPA – which was signed by President Biden on December 23, 2021 – the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of the Forced Labor Enforcement Task…
Crowell & Moring Webinar – Forced Labor
Please join us for an update from our Supply Chain and Forced Labor team on the current state of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) withhold release orders (WRO), findings, and how to successfully modify a WRO, submit WRO detention responses that work, and the timeline to have…
European Commission Issues a Proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence
On February 23, 2022, the European Commission adopted a new proposal for a directive on corporate sustainability due diligence. The proposed directive specifically focuses on corporate responsibility in global supply chains with regards to human rights – such as child and forced labor – and the environment. This proposed directive comes nearly a year after…
U.S. Senators Introduce the Slave-Free Business Certification Act
On February 3, 2021, U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the Slave-Free Business Certification Act of 2022. The bipartisan bill would require companies that have an annual, worldwide receipts that exceeds $500 million and that are involved in the mining, production, or manufacture of goods for sale to conduct an audit…
Comment Period for UFLPA Opens on January 24
Comment Period for UFLPA Opens on January 24
As an update to our Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (“UFLPA”) post, the public comment period will open on Monday, January 24, 2022. A Federal Register Notice will be published on Monday and the 45-day comment period will end on March 10, 2022. The UFLPA was…
UPDATE: Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Signed into Law
This is an update to our December 22, 2021 post on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
On December 23, 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). This action by President Biden comes a week after the law passed both chambers of Congress. After stalling in the Senate…