Sen. Lee Leads Letter Calling for Further Investigation into Chinese Goods Produced by Slave Labor

September 17, 2020

WASHINGTON - Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) sent a letter to President Trump and Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan Thursday, calling for a further investigation into goods made from slave labor in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

“There is significant, publicly available evidence suggesting that religious and ethnic minority citizens in Xinjiang are being forcibly detained, indoctrinated, and conscripted into labor against their will. Most recently, according to media reports, Uyghurs have been forcibly transported to work in factories in COVID-19 infected areas to keep supply chains running. Disturbing reports of forced acts of sacrilege, anti-religious statist indoctrination, and forced abortions and sterilizations abound from the region,” the letter reads.

“We were pleased to see this week that CBP invoked its Section 307 authority to block the importation of certain goods from Xinjiang. While we applaud all that you have done to combat Chinese aggression and abuses of natural rights, we encourage you to continue to investigate the region to determine whether any additional withhold release orders ought to be issued,” the letter continues.

Other senators signing the letter include: Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Mike Braun (R-IN), Rick Scott (R-FL), John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Martha McSally (R-AZ), John Thune (R-SD), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), John Hoeven (R-ND), and John Cornyn (R-TX).

You can read the full letter here.