"Thousands of imports enter Australia from firms blacklisted by US over alleged Uyghur forced labour links", 19 January 2025

Australia is allowing thousands of imports from Chinese companies blacklisted by the US over alleged links to forced Uyghur labour, including a supplier of parts to Sydney Metro vehicles, government documents have revealed.

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Using freedom of information laws, the Guardian obtained details of 3,347 import declarations that name eight US-blacklisted companies as suppliers of materials to Australian importers since 2020. The companies ship a range of products, including parts for car batteries and trains used by state governments; safety gear for tradespeople; spices and food additives; and laser printers.

The documents show Australia’s imports from the eight companies actually increased after the US introduced its ban, peaking in 2023.

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The FoI documents reveal that two companies – Camel Group Battery Trading Co and KTK Group – were the most common suppliers, named on 2,869 of the 3,347 import declarations.

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KTK Group did not respond to requests for comment.

A spokesperson for Sydney Metro said its contracts included a “number of checks and balances that ensure contractors abide by all applicable laws”.

“Contracting partners are also responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable laws by any sub-contractors or consultants that they engage,” the spokesperson said.

“If one of our contractors were found to be using products sourced from a sub-contractor engaging in forced labour, it would be a breach of their contract.”

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Chenguang Biotech Group, which manufactures food additives and spices, was blacklisted in 2023 but continues to export to Australia. ...

Hoshine Silicon Industry (Shanshan) Co Ltd, the world’s largest metallurgical-grade silicon producer and a major supplier to the solar industry, was added to the blacklist in 2022. ...

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The Guardian contacted all eight companies for comment. Only Geehy Semiconductor Company Limited, which was blacklisted in 2023 as a subsidiary of Ninestar, responded.

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The company said in a statement the listing was “baseless and arbitrary” and it had filed a lawsuit with the court of international trade, as well as formally petitioning the US Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to remove it from the list.

“We strongly condemn and oppose any and all forms of forced labor,” the statement said.

“We would like to restate that Ninestar not only does not use any forced labor in our practice, but also has always upheld the principles of fairness and impartiality in our recruitment.”

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