Julie Su Acting United States Secretary of Labor | Official Website
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced updates on goods and products produced through child or forced labor, the industries where children are exploited, and how governments can combat these abuses.
The department’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs has published the 11th edition of its “List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor” and the 23rd edition of the “Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor.” These reports identify types of products, industries involved, and their locations. They assist foreign governments in developing effective policy responses and support businesses’ due diligence and risk management in their supply chains.
The International Labor Organization estimates millions worldwide work in abusive labor conditions, including 160 million children in child labor and nearly 28 million people in forced labor.
“These reports provide important guidance as we work to strategically reduce labor exploitation globally, particularly egregious child labor and forced labor practices,” explained Acting Secretary Julie Su. “Sadly, the U.S. is not immune to these abuses amid a significant increase here in the number of children employed illegally. We will use our education and enforcement powers to hold U.S. employers accountable and to work with global partners to eradicate the scourge of child and forced labor wherever it exists.”
The latest List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor includes 204 goods from 82 countries believed to be produced by child or forced labor in violation of international standards. The 11th edition includes 72 additions, such as jujubes, lead, nickel, polyvinyl chloride, and squid, while removing Argentinian blueberries, Cambodian salt, Thai shrimp, and Mongolian fluorspar from the list.
The report also includes several studies tracing goods tainted with forced or child labor through complex global supply chains. It adds 43 goods made with inputs produced with child or forced labor. These include cotton textile products from China and Vietnam produced with Chinese cotton; food and beverage products linked to child labor in cocoa industries in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire; and sugar products tied to forced labor in the sugarcane industry in the Dominican Republic.
The 23rd Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor examines child labor situations in 131 countries and territories, including trafficking, debt bondage, forced labor, hazardous work, commercial sexual exploitation, and using children in armed conflict or illicit activities. The report details how governments are working to eliminate child labor and offers nearly 1,900 specific recommendations by country. Notably, enforcement gaps account for 36 percent of suggested actions—the single largest category. The 23rd edition features an improved design with enhanced visuals and policy overviews.
In addition to publishing these reports, ILAB has updated its tools that provide ready access to information for those seeking to end child and forced labor. The Comply Chain website provides companies detailed guidance for developing worker-driven social compliance systems in global supply chains. The Sweat & Toil app supplies information on goods produced by child or forced labor and how governments address this problem. Its data visualizations help users identify regional trends in eliminating child labor.
The agency has also updated its online Better Trade Tool—a compliance resource that overlays international trade data on the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor—and highlights U.S. imports at higher risk of being produced using such exploitative practices.
The ILAB Knowledge Portal is available for researchers, civil society organizations, other governments, and international organizations seeking best practices in combating child and forced labor. Users can access publicly available grant-supported resources and evaluation reports.
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