Protecting Supply Chains: How U.S. Companies Can Navigate the Uighur Forced Labor Human Rights Crisis in China

Orrick Special Counsel Betsy Popken authored this Law360 article exploring the ramifications of China’s use of forced Uighur labor making its way into the supply chains of U.S. companies and what those businesses can do to navigate the issue.

Noting that human rights groups have “sounded the alarm that forced Uighur labor is making its way into the products we buy,” Betsy, co-leader of the firm’s Business & Human Rights Practice, outlines the various government regulations emerging that impact businesses ranging from tech to fashion. Betsy provides eight steps business leaders can take to avoid running afoul of the regulatory environment, from reviewing supply chain protocols to monitoring the human rights situation in Xinjiang, where the forced labor conditions are unfolding.

“Companies would be well advised to stay apprised of the situation and take the steps recommended … in order to diminish risks to the company and avoid contributing to the human rights abuses against the Uighur people,” Betsy wrote.