Australia's Trade Links to US-Blacklisted Companies Raise Concerns Over Forced Labor

Australia’s newly appointed anti-slavery commissioner has urged the government to tackle the “inadequacies” in its forced labor laws following an investigation revealing that Australian importers have sourced materials from eight US-blacklisted Chinese companies connected to Uyghur forced labor.

A report by the Guardian, based on documents obtained through freedom of information laws, disclosed that since 2020, 3,347 import declarations identified these companies as suppliers to Australian businesses. The findings have sparked outrage among the Uyghur community in Australia, whose members have faced persecution from the Chinese authorities.

Chris Evans, the anti-slavery commissioner, lamented the current government's failure to adequately address modern slavery risks, stating that many companies are unprepared to deal with these complex issues. He emphasized the need for clearer governmental guidance to assist businesses in mitigating these risks.

The investigation has reignited discussions about introducing a formal ban on imports produced through forced or child labor. Advocacy group Be Slavery Free claimed that the trade records likely underestimated the extent of Australia’s involvement with forced labor-linked goods, highlighting the need for a robust system to detect and curb such imports.

Despite similar actions taken by the Biden administration in 2021 under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, Australia has yet to enforce comparable measures. The volume of imports from the identified companies actually increased in 2023, raising further concerns over compliance with ethical labor practices.

Calls for reform are growing, with expectations that the government will strengthen the Modern Slavery Act and provide better resources to assist businesses in navigating the complexities inherent in their supply chains.