U.S. ban on Xinjiang imports to set off supply chain scramble

Sanctions to force deep dives by manufacturers to root out forced labor

A Uniqlo store in Beijing. A shipment of shirts to the U.S. was blocked earlier this year under a narrower import ban. © Reuters

TAISEI HOYAMA and KEIICHI FURUKAWA, Nikkei staff writers

December 18, 2021 02:56 JST

WASHINGTON/TOKYO -- With a bill that would in effect ban imports from China's Xinjiang region now awaiting U.S. President Joe Biden's signature, companies from apparel vendors to solar panel makers are getting ready to rework their supply chains.

The legislation, passed by the Senate on Thursday, blocks finished goods and material from the region, citing concerns about forced labor by Uyghurs. Xinjiang supplies 20% of the world's cotton and 45% of all silicon usable in solar cells.