list of companies that use forced labor

Further, in June 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor added polysilicon from Xinjiang to its List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor and the U.S. Department of Commerce imposed additional license requirements on the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of goods from certain Xinjiang-based polysilicon producers due to concerns . There are reports that children ages 3 to 17 produce mica in Madagascar, primarily in the southern provinces of Androy, Anosy, and Ihorombe. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Brazils commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. In 2016, the Government of Paraguay published representative results from the Survey of Activities of Rural Area Children and Adolescents 2015. The 2020 Australian Strategic Policy Institute report identified Victoria's Secret among the companies that could have directly or indirectly benefited from forced labor in China. div#block-eoguidanceviewheader .dol-alerts p {padding: 0;margin: 0;} Working in casinos or hotels may not be as glamorous or exciting as it seems. Migrant and marginalized workers are lured to the quarries with the promise of well-paying jobs, only to work in dangerous conditions for pay at a daily or per piece rate that is too low to manage basic expenses. Some are beaten by their employers if they do not behave as expected or work slower than required. We hate spam too, unless it's on a sandwich with some eggs. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 17 are engaged in the production of baked goods in El Salvador. There are reports that adults are forced to work in the production of fish on Chinas distant-water fishing fleet. A stack of assignments is on your desk, so you prepare yourself for a long day. The children are not paid for their work, and they face physical abuse and other punishments for refusing to work or for producing work that is considered of unacceptable quality. Based on estimates from international organizations, NGOs, and academic researchers, thousands of children work in Rajasthans sandstone quarries. "In 2019, we took immediate action to evaluate our factory database and confirmed that no production of our finished goods occur in the XUAR. Some children are forced to work at the mines with their families in situations of bonded labor, while other children are sent away to the mines by their parents to pay off the family's debt. Consequently, in August of 2020, L.L.Bean made the decision to exit Xinjiang and remove all Chinese cotton from our assortment. 117-78), also known as the UFLPA, directs the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to develop a strategy for supporting enforcement of the prohibition on the importation of goods into the United States manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in the People's Republic of China, especially from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region . Other victims are recruited through deception regarding the location of work and the anticipated wages. Individuals work in remote, isolated plantations with limited freedom of movement and communication. CBP is responsible for preventing the entry of products made with forced labor into the U.S. market by investigating and acting upon allegations of forced labor in supply chains. Cottonseed production, and cottonseed farms with bonded child laborers, are reported to be concentrated in the state of Andhra Pradesh. You can find hope in the work and effort of other industries that fight to see an end to modern-day slavery. Approximately 96 percent of child textile workers are female. Of these children, 20,082 handle hooks or harpoons; 18,886 prepare bait; and 11,475 clean fish. Children are involved in the harvesting season from August until January each year, alongside their families. The survey estimates that 72,332 children below the age of 15 raise bovines. There are reports that children in India are forced to quarry stones. In 2021, Reuters reported that a Microsoft supplier arranged for the transfer of at least 400 Uyghur workers to its plant, in what human-rights groups have called a forced-labor arrangement. Reports from the U.S. Department of State and NGOs state that many children have been identified working in conditions of forced labor in the mines in Eastern Congo, particularly in North and South Kivu. The ILO has found that generally, children who care for farm animals may be at risk of exposure to potential health consequences, including injuries from kicks and infections from animal bites and exposure to harmful bacteria. Landlords charge these tenant workers for costs such as rent, fertilizer, and seeds; these costs often exceed the profit earned from the tobacco harvest and result in debt for the worker and his or her family. Nearly three-quarters of child laborers involved in this activity are boys. The ILO, media pieces, and an academic report indicate that children are trafficked across Nigeria and from Burkina Faso by intermediaries and recruiters to produce cocoa. In 2016, the Government of Paraguay published representative results from the Survey of Activities of Rural Area Children and Adolescents 2015. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Paraguays commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. Some children are lured by traffickers with false promises about working conditions or terms. There are reports that children are forced to engage in pornography in Russia. The 2020 Australian Strategic Policy Institute report identified Zara among the companies that could have directly or indirectly benefited from forced labor in China. There is evidence that children under the age of 14 raise bovines in Pakistan. The survey estimates that 301,827 children ages 5 to 17 perform hazardous work in rural areas of Paraguay and indicates that children working in agriculture experience accidents and illnesses, including from using dangerous tools and handling chemicals. Drilling Machines There are some health and safety issues associated with the growing of rice that include extended time out in the sun, burns from the parboiling process, and infections from harvesting in the rice paddies. There is evidence that children under 14 work in the production of textiles in Pakistan. "Under conditions that strongly suggest forced labour, Uyghurs are working in factories that are in the supply chains of at least 83 well-known global brands in the technology, clothing and automotive sectors, including Apple, BMW, Gap, Huawei, Nike, Samsung, Sony and Volkswagen." In addition, certain children work under threats and penalties including physical, verbal, and sexual abuse, and do not receive food or pay. Some children receive threats regarding exams, grades, and even expulsion from school for refusal to work. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Mexicos commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgment that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. According to the Government's data, some of the children work as bonded labor, often in exchange for advanced payments that have been made to their parents. Both boys and girls work long hours in the hot sun carrying heavy loads and are exposed to mica and sand dust throughout the production process. Most families in the region rely on the harvest as their main source of income. Afghanistan. Many cases of forced labor exist within the agricultural industry, domestic work, factories, clubs, and hospitality arenas. There are reports that children as young as age nine are forced to work in the production of rubber in Burma. Approximately 71,932 child laborers growing manioc/cassava are below the minimum age for employment in Paraguay. These forcibly-recruited children do not have freedom of movement and do not receive payment for their work. Children engaged in aa berry harvesting not only are required to scale very tall trees, but they also lack proper protective equipment, transport large knives with serrated blades in the back of their shorts, and are exposed to hot climate conditions and environments that include venomous insects and other dangerous animals. There are reports that adults, predominantly men, are forced to work in the fishing industry in Indonesia. Tobacco estates are concentrated in the Mzimba, Kasungu, Mchinji and Mzimba districts. The palm oil industry is labor-intensive and employs between 3.7 million and 8 million workers. Information from media sources and a research study indicate that the children are forced to work without pay under threat of physical violence, held against their will, watched by guards, and denied sufficient food. 1. Based on an analysis of the Ghana Living Standards Survey, an estimated 10,049 child laborers are involved in the raising of bovines. There are reports that children as young as age 9 produce sugarcane in Zimbabwe. Some children are forced to work long hours, including overtime, and are forced to perform dangerous tasks, such as carrying heavy loads and using pesticides. In some cases, children are recruited into the military and forced to live in barracks and work for years in brick production; in other cases, children are sent by their families on rotation to fulfill the military's forced labor mandate for their household. #block-googletagmanagerheader .field { padding-bottom:0 !important; } We have full confidence in our due diligence and supply chain mapping process, which maps down to the cotton bale level, to state that none of our products are made with Chinese cotton or use forced labor.". Children work long hours, with some reports of working up to 12 hours per day, 6 days per week. ILAB maintains the List primarily to raise public awareness about forced labor and child labor around the world and to promote efforts to combat them; it is not intended to be punitive, but rather to serve as a catalyst for more strategic and focused coordination and collaboration among those working to address these problems. The survey considers a working child to be engaged in child labor if the child is below the minimum age for employment of 14 or the child is performing work that is hazardous according to national legislation. And it's not just cars. Many child laborers working in sugarcane production do not attend school because of their work. Families take an advance payment from recruiters and then are forced to work to pay off the debt; the debt rolls over from one year to the next, binding the worker in a cycle of debt bondage. Though the government has placed legal restrictions on working hours and types of work for children under age 18, there are reports that children work the same hours as adults with higher risks of abuse. "As the facts develop, we're prepared to consider what action we should take relative to the issue of a supplier to our supplier owning factories that may have problems. An analysis of the Pakistan Labour Force Survey 20172018 considers all work performed by children under age 14 to be child labor. .usa-footer .container {max-width:1440px!important;} The children are often forced to perform hazardous work, including carrying heavy loads. The child workers are mainly recruited from Sarlahi, Mohattari, and Dhanusha Districts. This crime happens both in the United States and overseas. Children are often forced to work long hours and overtime, and are paid little, if at all. Many mines are controlled by military officers or armed groups which force children to work. Because silkworms require constant attention and the maintenance of a carefully controlled environment in order to survive, farmers and rural families often cultivate cocoons in several rooms of their own homes and many work more than 20 hours a day during the approximately month-long cultivation period. Once in Argentina, these children have restricted freedom of movement, their identity documents are confiscated, they live and work within locked factories, and they are too fearful to leave due to threats of imprisonment. Reports indicate children from Sichuan, Guangxi, and other provinces are sent to work primarily in Guangdong to make toys. These workplaces are located primarily in and around Ho Chi Minh City; however, many of these children have migrated, or have been trafficked, from the countryside and from central or northern provinces. The children are forced to work up to 16 hours a day, even when they are sick. Researchers note that Xinjiang is undergoing an expansion of the textile industry, and it is possible that hundreds of thousands of workers are being subjected to forced labor as part of this effort. "Out of an abundance of caution, we ended our relationship with that supplier earlier this year.". The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Ecuadors commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. ILAB has reason to believe that multiple solar products produced in China are made with an input using forced labor, specifically from polysilicon produced in China. While on board the vessels, workers identity documents are often confiscated, and the crew spends months at sea without stopping at a port of call, and they are forced to work 18 to 22 hours a day with little rest. Other sources report that cases of child labor in garment manufacturing have been found in Puebla. ILAB maintains the List primarily to raise public awareness about forced labor and child labor around the world and to promote efforts to combat them; it is not intended to be punitive, but rather to serve as a catalyst for more strategic and focused coordination and collaboration among those working to address these problems. According to international researchers and NGOs, numerous incidents of forced child labor have been reported in Cambodia. The same report identified Nike among the companies that had been "potentially directly or indirectly benefiting from the use of Uyghur workers outside Xinjiang through abusive labour transfer programs as recently as 2019. The survey estimates that 301,827 children ages 5 to 17 perform hazardous work in rural areas of Paraguay and indicates that children working in agriculture experience accidents and illnesses, including from using dangerous tools and handling chemicals. Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionWROFAQs, Hoshine Silicon Industry Co. Ltd WRO FAQs, Preparing for an Audit-Partnership in Responsible Trade, Hoshine WRO - Updated Guidance Document for Industry, North Korea Sanctions and Enforcement Actions Advisory: Risks for Businesses with Supply Chain Links to North Korea, 2020 CBP Virtual Trade Week Forced Labor Session. There are reports that children as young as 7 engage in illegal amber extraction in Ukraine. There are reports that children, especially girls ages 6-14, are forced to produce hybrid cottonseed in India. CBP Issues Withhold Release Order on Central Romana Corporation Limited. There are reports that children from within Cte d'Ivoire, as well as migrant children from Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, and Togo, are working under conditions of forced labor on Ivoirian cocoa farms. However, with upwards of tens of thousands of workers employed at brick kilns and the casual nature of work in brick kilns, this number is likely higher. Local officials and the military enforce these work orders; the children cannot refuse to work, even if sick. The children are not free to leave until the debt has been repaid. Regional- and district-level officials assign each farmer a quota for the production of silk cocoons, and threaten farmers with fines, the loss of their leased farmland, or physical violence if they fail to meet the quota. Some children are forced to work at the mines with their families in situations of bonded labor, while other children are sent away to the mines by their parents to pay off the family's debt. The majority of exploited fishermen are Cambodian, Lao, and Burmese nationals. These children receive little or no payment, with many receiving wage deductions for lodging and food expenses. Further, reports indicate little pay, mandatory Mandarin lessons, ideological indoctrination, and poor living conditions. The survey considers a working child to be engaged in child labor if the child is below the minimum age for employment of 14 or the child is performing work that is hazardous according to national legislation. Villagers, including children, are forced by local officials and the military to work cutting bamboo for the military camps. According to the survey, almost 13 percent of Paraguayan children engaged in child labor in agriculture do not attend school. Tariff Act to Combat Forced Labor in Supply Chains, CBP Timelines and Investigative Benchmarks for Forced Labor Petitions. Despite signing an industry agreement in 2001 to eradicate child labour from their Ghana and Ivory Coast-based cocoa farms, Nestl - one of the largest and most recognisable consumer brands in the world - continues to receive criticism for the ongoing employment abuses in their supply chain. It is estimated that there are tens of thousands of workers who are sometimes recruited by agencies that deceive workers with false information regarding their wages and the terms of the contracts, and require the workers to pay recruitment fees and sign debt contracts. Children who work in producing baked goods may be at risk of exposure to hazards including working long hours, carrying heavy loads, and exposure to extreme temperatures and toxic fumes. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (Public Law No. "There was no part of the car we researched that was untainted by. In addition to this, poor workers in rural areas may also experience coercion without detention. In addition to this, poor workers in rural areas may also experience coercion without detention. Your donation or participation in Dressember 2018 is part of a movement to end human trafficking for good. September 4, 2019. There are reports that children, as young as age 8, are engaged in the harvesting of aa berries in Brazil. These children are primarily found in granite quarries located in Pissy and Yagma, on the outskirts of the capital, Ouagadougou. Children engaged in illegal amber extraction are also at risk of violence at the mining site. Most children are Syrian refugees who live and work in Lebanons Bekaa Valley. What Clothing Companies Use Forced Labor? by Soeren Kern. In 2016, the Government of Paraguay published representative results from the Survey of Activities of Rural Area Children and Adolescents 2015. According to reports from the media and government raids, 5,000 children from Nigeria and Benin are working in forced gravel production in Nigeria. Children perform work at night and engage in hazardous activities, such as using machetes and chasing away wild animals. Some boys ages 10-15 from Burkina Faso and Mali are sent to work in rice fields by their Koranic teachers at religious schools. If you wish to report allegations of forced labor violations, please submit them to CBP at the following address:https://eallegations.cbp.gov/Home/Index2. Diamond mines are concentrated in Koidu, Kenema, and Kono districts in the Eastern Province. Per our policies, forced labor is considered a zero-tolerance issue.". The ILO has found that generally children who work in agriculture may be at risk of exposure to hazards including, working long hours, carrying heavy loads, using dangerous tools, and exposure to the elements, physical injuries, and chemicals, such as pesticides. When asked about the company's inclusion in the report, Nintendo's president, Shuntaro Furukawa, said last year: "We as a company are aware of the news report that Uighurs might have been forced into labor at factories in our supply chain. The children are forced to work long hours, up to 18 hours per day, sometimes late into the night, and with few breaks. The .gov means its official. The factory, Haoyuanpeng Clothing Manufacturing Co. Ltd, lists Fila, Adidas, Puma and Nike among its clients. Some of the children sleep at the worksites, held in captivity and isolation, and are not provided with sufficient food. There are reports that children ages 5 to 17 in Vietnam grow tea. This work exposes children to severe health and safety hazards, including drowning, injury, and water-borne disease. According to the survey, almost 13 percent of Paraguayan children engaged in child labor in agriculture do not attend school. Under the Pakistani peshgis bondage system, families are not free to leave the kiln, and are forced to produce quotas of 1,000 or more bricks per day under threat of physical violence or death. The survey estimates that 301,827 children ages 5 to 17 perform hazardous work in rural areas of Paraguay and indicates that children working in agriculture experience accidents and illnesses, including from using dangerous tools and handling chemicals. Based on an analysis of the survey, an estimated 65,775 child laborers raise poultry. The countries on the List span every region of the world. There are reports that children ages 5 to 17 cultivate coffee in Costa Rica. Many children are trafficked into garment production, recruited under deceptive terms, moved between employers without consent, and paid little or nothing for their work. The survey considers a working child to be engaged in child labor if the child is below the minimum age for employment of 14 or the child is performing work that is hazardous according to national legislation. This includes forced or indentured child labor. These children work in stone quarries, mines, and crushers under conditions of bonded labor. The. Jackie Coleman August 25, 2022. Tommy Hilfiger did not respond to a request for comment for this story. Some children also work at night or operate dangerous equipment. The factories are spread across the Kathmandu Valley and are concentrated in Thankot. There are reports that children as young as age 7 work in stone quarries in Uganda. According to the most recently available data from universities, NGOs, government raids, and international organizations, hundreds of children in the Lake Volta region have been rescued from the fishing industry, in which they were forced to undertake such tasks as diving to untangle fishing nets from underwater tree stumps. Childrens tasks reportedly include breaking apart rocks to mine the minerals, carrying loads of rocks, and sorting and separating mica from other mined minerals. According to estimates, over one hundred thousand Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities are being subjected to forced labor in China following detention in re-education camps, in addition to workers who may also experience coercion without detention. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 17 raise sheep in Paraguay. These children are paid little, if at all. Workers can be placed at factories within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where the camps are located, or be transferred out of Xinjiang to factories in eastern China. Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 17 in Vietnam manufacture footwear. Based on an analysis of the Government of Brazils 2015 National Household Survey, an estimated 5,503 child laborers cultivate sugarcane. View the list of submissions. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Ecuadors commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. "We oppose all forms of human trafficking, slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labor, and all other trafficking-related activities and uphold this commitment by taking action through ourResponsible Supply Chain program. For example, one human rights organization reports that thousands of school children extract amber, and that their labor is essential to the amber industry. Some workers face growing indebtedness to company stores that often inflate the prices of their goods, forcing workers to purchase provisions on credit and limiting their ability to leave the farms. The children are isolated, often live at the worksite, and face restricted freedom of movement. The survey estimates that 8,143 child laborers grow sweet potatoes throughout rural areas in Paraguay. With over 25 years of experience, the Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking (OCFT) in the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) at the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) is a world leader in the fight to eradicate these labor abuses. There are reports that mostly girls as young as 11 are forced to produce garments in Thailand. There is evidence that children under the age of 14 produce dairy products in Pakistan. They are not paid for their work. Reports and field research indicate that children are seen as extremely valuable to the harvest due to their physical stature and natural agility, qualities that allow them to climb the aa berry trees tall and thin trunks more easily without the trees breaking. .h1 {font-family:'Merriweather';font-weight:700;} In addition, 21,873 of the total number of child laborers working in the production of furniture were involved in work that could be considered hazardous according to national legislation.