"Letter to the Chairperson of the Japan Uyghur Parliamentary Association, Keiji Furuya" 23 February 2026

We are writing in support of your reported plans, as chairperson of the Japan Uyghur Parliamentary Association, to draft a Japanese version of the United States Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). 

[...]

Our 2024 report found that global car brands, including in Japan, are at risk of exposure to Uyghur forced labor in their aluminum supply chain, adding to a growing body of research that shows that Uyghur forced labor taints industries globally, including solar panels, apparel, seafood, and critical minerals.

[...]

Import restrictions preventing the importation of products linked to Uyghur forced labor are a key mechanism for increasing pressure on the Chinese government to end such abusive practices in Xinjiang and beyond.

[...][...]

Annex: Human Rights Watch Recommendations

Import restrictions targeting products and product groups from whole regions with high-risk of state-imposed forced labor are a powerful tool for addressing forced labor risks at scale.
[...]

Import restrictions should target any region with high risks of state-sponsored forced labor, including but not limited to Xinjiang.
[...]

Legislation targeting state-sponsored forced labor should include a “rebuttable presumption.” 
[...]

The definition of forced labor used in the import ban must sufficiently capture state-imposed forced labor. 
[...]

Require companies to map their entire supply chains. 
[...]

Guidance to companies on due diligence efforts should clearly outline how to identify potential or actual situations of state-imposed forced labor in their supply chains. 
[...]

Customs officials should have adequate investigative authority and resources to identify and block products linked to state-imposed forced labor. 
[...]

Legislation should include measures to address non-cooperation by foreign governments during investigations. 
[...]

Legislation should require customs authorities to engage and cooperate with authorities of third countries that have similar legislation in place to increase leverage addressing state-imposed forced labor and avoid re-routing of goods to less protected markets. 
[...]