CBP to host virtual forced labor seminar for Puerto Rico/USVI importers
The free seminar will start at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 29.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s San Juan Field Office will host a virtual seminar on Aug. 29 aimed at importers and the business community regarding its enforcement of forced labor authorities.
The free virtual seminar will start at 9:30 a.m. Attendees can also call in at 332-249-0605 (Meeting ID 57767975 #).
Forced labor established in Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. § 1307), prohibits the importation of merchandise mined, produced or manufactured, wholly or in part, in any foreign country by forced or indentured labor — including forced child labor.
“Importers and the business community in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands must be vigilant in their supply chains as CBP’s stringent forced labor enforcement continues to evolve,” said Roberto Vaquero, director of Field Operations in San Juan. “Compliance isn’t just a legal requirement — it’s a moral imperative that safeguards human rights.”
CBP’s forced labor enforcement mission “supports ethical and humane trade while leveling the playing field for U.S. companies that respect fair labor standards.”
CBP is the only U.S. government agency, and one of the few globally, with the legal authority to take enforcement action against goods produced with forced labor to prevent entry into domestic commerce.
For many years, enforcement of Section 307 was inhibited by the Consumptive Demand Clause, which allowed the importation of goods produced with forced labor if they were not domestically produced in sufficient quantities to meet U.S. consumer demand.
Congress repealed the Consumptive Demand Clause when it passed the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (TFTEA).
As of 2021, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that 27.6 million people worldwide were in forced labor situations.
CBP enforces its forced labor regulations through the issuance of Withhold Release Orders (WRO) and Findings, and the enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), to prevent merchandise produced using forced labor from being imported into the United States.
