The Congressional Research Service released an update yesterday to their In Focus report on Section 307 and Imports Produced by Forced Labor. The updated report includes a new introduction, renames several sections, and consolidates information from the previous version.
An updated “History and Trends” section adds:
As lawmakers grew increasingly concerned about forced labor for humanitarian and foreign policy reasons, in 2015 they amended Sec. 307 to remove the “consumptive demand” clause. Since the amendment, CBP has blocked the entry of more products than in the prior 85 years; as of October 1, 2024, CBP is enforcing 51 active WROs and 8 Findings globally. CBP has also changed the scale and scope of WROs. Historically, CBP typically issued WROs against specific goods from specific producers; this practice has been changing in recent years as CBP has issued WROs against broader categories of goods and targeted regions.
The “Issues for Congress” section includes a new subsection on “Expanding the Scope of Sec. 307” and a new paragraph about the UFLPA under the “China and Forced Labor” subsection.