U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) against Zhen Fa 7, a Chinese-flagged fishing vessel, effective May 28. This action mandates that CBP officers at all U.S. ports of entry detain seafood products, including squid, harvested by the vessel due to suspicions of forced labor usage.
CBP Acting Commissioner Pete Flores stated, "Combatting forced labor is central to CBP’s mission to protect the economic security of the United States." He further noted that this order aligns with the President's directive to enhance American seafood competitiveness by addressing unfair trade practices.
The agency identified several International Labor Organization indicators of forced labor in Zhen Fa 7's operations, such as abuse of vulnerability, isolation, retention of identity documents, abusive working and living conditions, physical and sexual violence, and debt bondage. These practices reportedly allowed Zhen Fa 7 to lower labor costs and produce goods below market value.
Susan S. Thomas, CBP Office of Trade Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner, emphasized the importance of halting forced labor and safeguarding law-abiding businesses: “We’re working on all fronts to prevent goods made with these unfair labor and trade practices from entering U.S. commerce.”
The WRO against Zhen Fa 7 is part of CBP's broader efforts to enforce U.S. trade laws protecting domestic seafood markets from unfair foreign competition linked to forced labor in supply chains. Currently overseeing 52 WROs and nine findings under 19 U.S.C. § 1307, this marks the sixth WRO targeting a fishing vessel since 2020.
Under Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. § 1307), importing goods produced wholly or partly by convict or forced labor is prohibited in the United States. When there is reasonable suspicion regarding such imports violating this section, CBP will detain shipments at entry points until importers can prove their admissibility or choose destruction or exportation.
CBP invites allegations regarding forced labor from various sources including government agencies and public members through its e-Allegations Online Trade Violation Reporting System or via phone.
For more updates from CBP Office of Trade follow them on X @CBPTradeGov or LinkedIn.
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