US Implements Import Ban on Ninestar Corp and Xingjang Zhongtai Chemical Over Human Rights Concerns

The United States has imposed a ban on imports from China-based printer manufacturer Ninestar Corp and chemical company Xingjang Zhongtai Chemical Co Ltd. This action is a response to alleged human rights abuses in China, particularly targeting Uighurs and other persecuted groups. The ban was announced in a Federal Register post by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Ninestar, recognized as the world’s fourth-largest laser printer manufacturer, and Xingjang Zhongtai Chemical are accused of participating in business practices that involve the mistreatment of Uighurs and other minority groups in China’s western Xinjiang region. These companies were not immediately available for comment on the US decision.

UN experts and human rights groups have estimated that over a million people, mainly Uighurs and Muslim minorities, have been detained in camps in Xinjiang. Reports indicate they have undergone ideological training and faced abuse, allegations that China has consistently denied.

The DHS stated that this measure aligns with the US Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA), enacted in December 2021. The UFLPA prohibits the import of goods into the US that are either produced in Xinjiang or by entities identified on the UFLPA Entity List, unless the importer can demonstrate the absence of forced labor in their production.

With the addition of Ninestar and its eight Zhuhai-based subsidiaries, along with Xinjiang Zhongtai Chemical, the UFLPA Entity List now includes 22 companies. DHS has scrutinized over $1.3 billion worth of goods suspected of being manufactured with forced labor nearly a year after the UFLPA’s implementation.

According to the DHS, Ninestar and Xinjiang Zhongtai Chemical are implicated in collaborating with the government of Xinjiang to recruit, transport, transfer, harbor, or receive forced labor from Uighurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, or other persecuted groups.

DHS Under Secretary for Policy Robert Silvers, who chairs the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, emphasized the commitment to holding companies accountable for human rights violations in Xinjiang. The import ban represents a significant step in the US’s ongoing efforts to address and combat human rights abuses linked to forced labor in global supply chains.

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