The United States on Wednesday banned imports from three Chinese genomics companies over their alleged roles in enabling the forced labour of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China’s Xinjiang region, according to Reuters. BGI Genomics, MGI Tech and Shenzhen BGI Technology, which the US says is also known as the BGI Group, were added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List, according to the Department of Homeland Security. US Customs and Border Protection is instructed to stop goods from companies on the list from entering the US unless exporters can rebut the presumption they were made with forced labour.
What the US alleges
BGI Group and BGI Genomics conduct genetic testing in the region, working with the government to facilitate the recruitment, transport, transfer or receiving of forced labour, the Homeland Security Department said. MGI Tech provides equipment and related support to the government to conduct the testing, the department said. The US government believes BGI Group tests genetic material of people from the region as well as that of plants and animals. The US and human rights groups have accused Chinese authorities of establishing internment camps in Xinjiang, where Uyghurs and other religious and ethnic minority groups are subject to forced labour and other abuses. Beijing has denied the allegations.
Companies push back
Shenzhen-based MGI Tech rejected the allegations, saying they are inconsistent with the facts, and added that business activities in the US represent a limited part of its overall business. “We have zero tolerance for forced labour in any form,” the company said in a statement, according to Reuters. BGI Genomics has said its US business is limited and it does not expect the designation to have a significant impact on its overall operations, according to Aju Press. The move marks a significant escalation in US pressure on China’s bioindustry, according to GenomeWeb, and could prompt US customers and partners to reconsider contracts due to supply chain risks, even though the listing targets imports rather than imposing a blanket ban on all business.
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