Customs Publicizes UFLPA Detention Addendum

Jan. 8, 2024
By: Pietro N. Bianchi

Customs posted its addendum to notices of detention under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). The UFLPA establishes a rebuttable presumption that imports made (in whole or in part) in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China are made from forced labor. Customs will detain imports it believes are subject to the UFLPA and has been attaching the linked addendum to its detention notices. For more background on the UFLPA click here, here, here, and here.

The addendum informs the importer that they have 30 days to prove that there is no forced labor in the supply chain of the detained good, from the finished product down to its raw materials. The addendum includes a non-exclusive list of documentation for importers to submit that may get generic goods released. The addendum also includes a more detailed description of the documentation that may satisfy Customs in cases involving the detention of specific goods: aluminum products, batteries, cotton products, polysilicon products, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products, steel products, tires, and tomato products.

If you have questions about the UFLPA or detentions and seizures do not hesitate to contact an attorney at Barnes Richardson, & Colburn LLP.