The Biden administration mentioned on Tuesday that it could block imports from greater than three dozen Chinese language corporations, citing their alleged ties to compelled labor within the Xinjiang area of China.

The administration’s transfer is the one largest batch of additives to a listing of corporations which might be barred from bringing merchandise into america due to considerations about human rights violations.

The motion was taken underneath a 2021 regulation, the Uyghur Compelled Labor Prevention Act, which prevents america from importing merchandise which might be made in complete or partially in Xinjiang, a far-western area of China the place the federal government has detained and surveilled massive numbers of minorities, together with Uyghurs.

China denies the presence of compelled labor in Xinjiang, however the U.S. authorities has mentioned the Chinese language authorities makes use of compelled labor, mass detentions and different coercive practices to subdue the area’s predominantly Muslim ethnic teams, significantly the Uyghurs.

The 37 entities that had been added on Tuesday to a particular listing created by the regulation embrace subsidiaries of a significant provider of vital minerals, Zijin Mining. The New York Instances reported in 2022 that Zijin Mining had hyperlinks with labor switch applications in Xinjiang.

The additions additionally embrace one of many world’s largest textile producers, Huafu Vogue, and 25 of its subsidiaries. It’s not clear which retailers Huafu at the moment provides, however H&M previously said that it had an oblique relationship with a mill belonging to Huafu Vogue and that it could minimize these ties.

Corporations in actual property, mining, photo voltaic and cotton manufacturing had been additionally added to the listing. Altogether, they create the listing to 144 entities.

The Biden administration sees the 2021 Uyghur compelled labor regulation as an essential a part of its legacy in countering unfair commerce practices and discouraging sure problematic commerce with China. Because the regulation went into impact, different governments, together with in Europe and Canada, have taken steps to halt imports of products made with compelled labor, together with merchandise from Xinjiang.

Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland safety secretary, mentioned that the additions display the administration’s “relentless battle towards the cruelty of compelled labor, our unwavering dedication to fundamental human rights, and our tireless protection of a free, honest, and aggressive market.”

It’s not clear what strategy the Trump administration will take towards implementing the regulation. However the regulation handed with bipartisan help, and Senator Marco Rubio, the Florida Republican whom President-elect Donald J. Trump has chosen to be his secretary of state, was its major writer. Mr. Rubio has been a powerful proponent of severing provide chains that contain compelled labor in China.

A Homeland Safety official mentioned the Biden administration had arrange a sturdy pipeline of corporations it was investigating and researching that the Trump administration may pursue.

Xinjiang produces important quantities of the world’s cotton, tomatoes and polysilicon, which is utilized in photo voltaic panels and semiconductors. Lately, corporations making flooring, vehicles, electronics and seafood have all found that they had been sourcing merchandise, components or uncooked supplies from Xinjiang.

Corporations have more and more attracted censure in america for ties to Xinjiang, however they’ve additionally been topic to backlash in China when selecting to sever these ties.

Late final 12 months, the Chinese language authorities mentioned it was investigating PVH, the company father or mother of the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger manufacturers, for allegedly taking “discriminatory measures” towards merchandise from Xinjiang. H&M and Nike have additionally confronted criticism from customers in China for breaking their ties.