The U.S. government on Friday moved to block imports from 43 additional Chinese companies, citing alleged rights abuses affecting Uyghur and other minority populations in Xinjiang, according to a notice released by the Department of Homeland Security. The newly listed firms span a range of industries - from battery materials and electronics components to food producers and metal manufacturers - and are now covered by the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List.
The Entity List creates a legal presumption that goods made wholly or partly by listed entities are tainted by forced labour and therefore ineligible for entry into the United States unless an importer can affirmatively demonstrate otherwise. With the latest action, the number of entities on the list increased to 187 from 144, making this the largest single expansion since the law that created the list was enacted in 2021. The notice also identified this as the first time companies have been added to the list under the Trump administration.
The Federal Register notice detailed the basis for the additions. Four firms were singled out for their alleged roles in working with Xinjiang authorities to recruit, transfer or receive Uyghurs and other persecuted groups. The remaining 41 were added for sourcing materials from Xinjiang itself or from entities tied to government labour programmes in the region.
Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, said in a statement that the measure "strengthens America’s economy against products made with slave labor." The U.S. government did not provide new figures on import volumes tied to the newly listed entities in the notice.
China responded sharply. The Commerce Ministry described the U.S. action as an unfounded unilateral sanction and noted the move came one day after trade officials from both countries had conducted what China called a constructive video call. The ministry said China would take "necessary measures" to protect its companies but did not elaborate. Meanwhile, China’s embassy in Washington called the allegations "a lie," stating that Chinese law bans forced labour and that workers in Xinjiang are free to choose their occupations.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Register notice named several firms by industry and ownership connections. Among the companies tied to battery supply chains were SDIC Xinjiang Lithium Industry and its parent SDIC Xinjiang Luobupo Potash - listed over their sourcing of lithium and potassium from brine at Lop Nur Salt Lake in Xinjiang - and Xinjiang Tianhongji Technology, which produces materials used in lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. The U.S. notice said Xinjiang-sourced petroleum coke, anthracite and asphalt are inputs in the production of those battery materials.
Hunan Aihua Group, a manufacturer of aluminum electrolytic capacitors used across consumer electronics, industrial equipment, vehicles and renewable-energy systems, was added to the list based on sourcing of inputs - including chemical foil - from a production base in Xinjiang. The company markets capacitors under the AiSHi brand and operates a North American sales office in Glen Allen, Virginia. The notice also noted that Aihua’s capacitors are distributed by U.S. electronics reseller DigiKey.
Food-sector exposure is evident in the inclusion of Chacha Food, a snack-food producer the notice said exports nuts and roasted seeds to nearly 50 countries and regions and sources agricultural products from Xinjiang. The company previously identified the United States as its largest overseas market; a 2019 state-owned report said Chacha had launched products in Walmart and Costco stores in New York and Los Angeles. The U.S. notice did not confirm whether those retail arrangements remain active, noting only the sourcing links.
Large industrial and metals groups were also added. TBEA Co was listed; the company manufactures transformers and other transmission equipment, aluminum products and high-purity polysilicon used in solar panels. The U.S. notice said TBEA sources aluminum and aluminum-alloy products from Xinjiang and named a TBEA unit, Xinjiang Tianchi Energy, as sourcing coal from the region. The action extended to Tianshan Aluminum Group and seven affiliates; the notice cited Tianshan’s reported production capacity of 1.4 million tons of electrolytic aluminum annually and a 2.5 million-ton alumina production line.
Shandong Gold Mining and related units including Shandong Gold Smelting were added on the basis that the group sources gold from Xinjiang. The notice said one of the group’s subsidiaries operates the region’s largest single gold mine, linking the company’s operations to the Xinjiang supply chain conditions that form the basis for the listing.
Reuters reached out to 10 of the newly listed companies for comment but did not receive responses outside normal business hours. The companies contacted did not immediately reply to questions on social media about the listing or the details in the U.S. notice.
Implications of the listing will be felt across several supply chains that feed U.S. markets and manufacturers. The Department of Homeland Security’s action formalizes a presumption that could disrupt imports unless companies or importers can demonstrate their goods are not produced with forced labour. That burden of proof introduces compliance and operational uncertainty for companies sourcing materials tied to Xinjiang and for U.S. firms relying on those suppliers.
As with prior additions to the Entity List, the designation does not itself impose criminal penalties but restricts the ability of goods to enter U.S. commerce absent evidence to the contrary. The notice did not provide guidance on timelines for challenged shipments or on the evidentiary standards importers must meet to rebut the presumption for the newly listed entities.
For now, the public details in the Federal Register notice identify specific sourcing links and industries affected while leaving open questions about the full commercial impact on supply chains and retail relationships tied to the listed firms.