U.S. Bans Cotton Imports from Xinjiang, Citing Uyghur Forced Labor

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol issued a ban on imports of cotton and tomatoes from the Xinjiang region in China, citing Beijing’s use of forced labor.

Around 20 percent of the world’s cotton is picked in Xinjiang, and the region is also a major exporter of tomatoes, which are used to make ketchup for the U.S. market. The U.S. imported $9 billion in cotton products and $10 million in tomatoes from China during the past year.