CBP Takes Forced-Labor Action Against Chinese-Owned Extruder in the Dominican Republic
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a forced-labor finding against Kingtom Aluminio S.R.L. (“Kingtom”), a Chinese-owned aluminum extruder in the Dominican Republic. CBP determined that aluminum extrusions, profile products and derivatives manufactured by Kingtom in the Dominican Republic were produced using convict, forced, or indentured labor and then imported into the United States in violation of Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307).
CBP’s December 3 determination follows mounting evidence of Kingtom’s apparent violations of the Tariff Act including a joint forced-labor petition that Wiley filed with CBP and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on behalf of the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) and the United Steelworkers (USW) union.
CBP has now authorized agency personnel at all ports of entry in the United States, including Puerto Rico, to immediately seize imports of aluminum extrusions, profile products, and derivatives manufactured by Kingtom.
CBP’s decisive action demonstrates the effectiveness of U.S. law in excising goods manufactured with forced labor from U.S. supply chains and insulating U.S. industries and workers from the effects of unethically and illegally produced and imported merchandise. This development also sends a strong signal that the United States has both the means and motivation to remove forced-labor goods from U.S. supply chains.
The domestic producers represented by Wiley will remain vigilant in their efforts to ensure that U.S. law is fully enforced.
Robert E. DeFrancesco, a partner in Wiley’s International Trade Practice, is counsel to the AEC. The Wiley team representing the AEC also includes International Trade partner Laura El-Sabaawi and associates Elizabeth S. Lee and Paul A. Devamithran.
