Nike, Coca-Cola and other leading companies have pressured lawmakers to dilute a proposed bill that would ban products manufactured through forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region from being imported to the United States, according to a report on Sunday.
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act passed the House by a 406-3 vote in September and is expected to be approved by the Senate in the coming months. If signed into law, the bill would block the import of goods or materials made in Xinjiang unless companies can prove they were not produced through forced labor and require businesses to disclose their ties to the region, among other measures.
Several top companies and business groups have hired lobbyists to alter portions of the bill, the New York Times reported, citing conversations with congressional aides and lobbying records. The groups say they condemn the human rights abuses in the Xinjiang, but warn that some of the measures proposed in the bill could upend supply chains in the area.
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