Canada and Mexico should take stronger measures to block the import of goods made with China-based forced labor, a group of U.S. lawmakers said, pointing to risks that importers might be trying to use the two countries to ship illicit merchandise stateside.
The two U.S. neighbors should consider passing laws to match a U.S. ban on most imports that can be traced to China’s Xinjiang region, a major exporter of cotton and solar-panel components and an alleged forced labor hot spot, a bipartisan group of lawmakers said in a letter sent to U.S., Canadian and Mexican trade officials and released Tuesday.
The lawmakers—Rep. Chris Smith (R., N.J.), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D., Ore.), Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) and Rep. Jim McGovern (D., Mass.)—all serve on the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China, a government body that acts as a China human-rights watchdog.
Representatives for the Canadian and Mexican embassies in Washington didn’t respond to requests for comment.
