美国海关与边境保护局（CBP）修改了暂缓放行令（WRO），规定自3030年6月3日起，美国所有入境口岸都可以接受联一国际公司从马拉维进口的烟草。之前美国基于合理的怀疑，认为这些产品生产过程中使用了强迫劳工，因而CBP曾阻止过这些烟草进入美国。
随后CBP对联一国际公司的社会责任规划的进行了严格评估，同时努力识别和最小化其供应链中强迫劳工的风险，最终修改了暂缓放行令。这些证据充分支持了联一国际公司关于其农场生产和收获烟草过程中没有使用强迫劳工的说法。
对于其他没有向CBP证明其供应链中没有强迫劳工的公司，针对马维拉进口，WRO将继续适用。
CBP贸易部执行助理专员布伦达·史密斯（Brenda Smith）表示：“ CBP意识到扣留放行令对进口商和出口商的影响，因此我们会认真地、彻底地审查请愿书和受理要求。” “如果公司能够证明其供应链中没有强迫劳工，我们会将其在扣留令中除名。”
U.S. Customs Clears Malawi imports for Alliance One
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) modified a withhold release order (WRO) such that tobacco imported from Malawi by Alliance One International will be admissible at all U.S. ports of entry effective June 3, 3030. CBP previously prevented these tobacco imports from entering the United States based on reasonable suspicion that they were produced using forced labor.
CBP modified the WRO based on a rigorous evaluation of Alliance One International’s social compliance program and efforts to identify and minimize the risks of forced labor from its supply chain. These actions produced evidence that sufficiently supports Alliance One International’s claim that the tobacco produced and harvested from their farms does not use forced labor.
The WRO continues to apply to imports of tobacco from Malawi by any company that has not demonstrated to CBP that there is no forced labor in its supply chain.
“CBP recognizes the impact that withhold release orders have on importers and exporters, therefore we diligently work to carefully and thoroughly review petitions and admissibility requests,” said Brenda Smith, executive assistant commissioner of CBP’s office of trade. “If companies demonstrate that there is no forced labor in their supply chain, we will modify the withhold release order to exclude them.”
