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Under the United States Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), five companies from China have been added to an entity list, making them ineligible to supply products and services in the United States.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the addition of 37 more companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), including five suppliers in the solar supply chain.
Signed into law by President Joe Biden in December 2021, the UFLPA bans all imports of solar products from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) unless the products are proven not to involve forced labor. China has denied any use of forced labor practices in Xinjiang.
"Effective January 15, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will apply a rebuttable presumption that goods produced by the 37 entities listed above will be prohibited from entering the United States as a result of the companies activities," a Department of Homeland Security press release said.
Up to 50% of the world’s supply of polysilicon, a material essential for manufacturing conventional solar panels, was produced in the Xinjing region at the time President Biden signed the UFLPA into law. Suppliers have since worked to decouple their supply chains from the region, but this has proven complex.
Companies added to the UFLPA Entity List include:
Donghai JA Solar Technology – From Jiangsu Province, China, a company dedicated to the research and development of silicon rods, wafers, ingots and solar cell modules.
Hongyuan Green Energy Co. – Vertically integrated manufacturer of power plants, industrial and crystalline silicon, wafers, batteries and modules. Its subsidiary Hongyuan New Materials was also added to the list.
Jiangsu Meike Solar Co. – Silicon wafer and rod manufacturer and its subsidiary Baotou Meike were added to the UFLPA list.
Shuangliang Silicon Materials – Crystalline silicon wafer and rod manufacturer from Batou City.
Xinjiang Energy Group – state-owned energy development company in the coal, wind power, photovoltaic energy, oil and gas sectors.
“With each addition to the UFLPA Entity List, we are gaining momentum and demonstrating that our efforts are sustainable and long-lasting in eradicating forced labor in our nation’s supply chains,” said Acting Under Secretary for Policy Robert Paschall. “This largest batch of additions reinforces that we are implementing the full force of this law, making impactful updates to the UFLPA Entity List, and enhancing the enforcement capabilities of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).” |
