List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor

There are reports of glove factories forcibly training and employing 1,500 to 2,000 ethnic minority adult workers with the government’s support.  Victim testimonies, news media, and think tanks report that factories, including for gloves, frequently engage in coercive recruitment; limit workers’ freedom of movement and communication; and subject workers to constant surveillance, retribution for religious beliefs, exclusion from community and social life, and isolation.  Further, reports indicate little pay, mandatory Mandarin lessons, ideological indoctrination, and poor living conditions. In some instances, workers have been reported to be subject to torture.  More broadly, according to varied estimates, at least 100,000 to hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities are being subjected to forced labor in China following detention in re-education camps.  In addition to this, poor workers in rural areas may also experience coercion without detention.  Workers are either placed at factories within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where the camps are located, or transferred out of Xinjiang to factories in eastern China.

Chinese Translation

There are reports that thousands of adult ethnic minority workers are forcibly employed in factories producing hair products such as wigs.  China produces more than 80 percent of the global market’s products made from hair and is the world’s largest exporter of these products.  Victim testimonies, news media, and think tanks report that factories, including for hair products, frequently engage in coercive recruitment; limit workers’ freedom of movement and communication; and subject workers to constant surveillance, retribution for religious beliefs, exclusion from community and social life, and isolation.  Further, workers in these factories can be subject to regular government propaganda, extremely long hours, and little to no pay.  More broadly, according to varied estimates, at least 100,000 to hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities are being subjected to forced labor in China following detention in re-education camps.  In addition to this, poor workers in rural areas may also experience coercion without detention.  Workers can be placed at factories within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where the camps are located, or be transferred out of Xinjiang to factories in eastern China.

Chinese Translation

There are reports that adults are forced to produce polysilicon for solar panels in China. According to estimates, over one hundred thousand Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities are being subjected to forced labor in China following detention in re-education camps, in addition to workers who may also experience coercion without detention. Workers, often from poor rural areas, have been placed at factories in industrial areas within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where the camps are located, or have been transferred out of Xinjiang to factories in other parts of China. China is the world’s largest producer of solar-grade polysilicon, and over 50 percent of the country’s production takes place in Xinjiang. Researchers note that Xinjiang is undergoing an expansion of the energy sector, including solar energy and polysilicon, and thousands of Uyghur workers have reportedly been transferred to work sites over the last five years. The polysilicon manufacturers work with the Chinese government to make use of ethnic minority groups for exploitative labor, often receiving financial incentives. Victim testimonies, news media, and think tanks report that factories frequently engage in coercive recruitment; limit workers’ freedom of movement and communication; subject workers to constant surveillance, religious retribution, physical violence, exclusion from community and social life; and threaten family members.

According to think tank and media reports, the textile industry works with the Government of China to make use of adult ethnic minority groups for forced, exploitative labor.  Researchers note that Xinjiang is undergoing an expansion of the textile industry, and it is possible that hundreds of thousands of workers are being subjected to forced labor as part of this effort.  Victim testimonies, news media, and think tanks report that factories, including for textiles, frequently engage in coercive recruitment; limit workers’ freedom of movement and communication; and subject workers to constant surveillance, retribution for religious beliefs, exclusion from community and social life, and threaten family members.  Further, some workers have been subject to military-style management, government indoctrination, and are paid below the minimum wage. There are reports that adults are forced to produce textiles in China.  More broadly, according to varied estimates, at least 100,000 to hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities are being subjected to forced labor in China following detention in re-education camps.  In addition to this, poor workers in rural areas may also experience coercion without detention.  Workers can be placed at factories within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where the camps are located, or be transferred out of Xinjiang to factories in eastern China.

Reports indicate that more than 2,000 adult Uyghur and ethnic Kazakh workers have been involuntarily transferred out of Xinjiang to yarn factories in the east and forced to produce thread/yarn products.  It also is likely that many others are subjected to forced labor at yarn factories within Xinjiang, particularly for cotton yarns.  Victim testimonies, news media, and think tanks report that factories, including for thread/yarn, frequently engage in coercive recruitment; limit workers’ freedom of movement and communication; and subject workers to constant surveillance, retribution for religious beliefs, exclusion from community and social life, and threaten family members.  Further, workers may undergo re-education to eradicate “extremism.”  More broadly, according to varied estimates, at least 100,000 to hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities are being subjected to forced labor in China following detention in re-education camps.  In addition to this, poor workers in rural areas may also experience coercion without detention.  Workers can be placed at factories within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where the camps are located, or be transferred out of Xinjiang to factories in eastern China.

Chinese Translation

There are reports that adults are forced to produce tomato products in China.  Xinjiang is a major producer of tomato products, especially tomato paste.  Victim testimonies, news media, and think tanks report that factories, including for tomato products, frequently engage in coercive recruitment; limit workers’ freedom of movement and communication; and subject workers to constant surveillance, retribution for religious beliefs, exclusion from community and social life, and isolation.  More broadly, according to varied estimates, at least 100,000 to hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities are being subjected to forced labor in China following detention in re-education camps.  In addition to this, poor workers in rural areas may also experience coercion without detention.

Chinese Translation

There are reports that children, mostly ages 13-16, are forced to produce toys in China. The most recently available data from an NGO study indicates that hundreds of children are exploited in this manner. Reports indicate children from Sichuan, Guangxi, and other provinces are sent to work primarily in Guangdong to make toys. Some of these children are trafficked after being recruited through deceptive promises, and others are forced to work by teachers through work-study programs. Children of the Yi ethnic minority in Liangshan prefecture of Sichuan are particularly vulnerable. The children report being forced to work long hours under threat of financial penalty and being fined for any mistakes in their work. Some children state that teachers withhold wages for “tuition” and management fees. In addition, employers withhold wages for months to prevent children from leaving. 

Chinese Translation