There is evidence that children ages 5 to 17 grow tobacco in Vietnam. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Brazils commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. Insider reached out to all the major brands listed below for comment. Amazon has continued to work with companies in China accused of using forced labor despite public warnings about their work practices, according to a report published Monday by a nonprofit. The report added that it found evidence of third-party Amazon sellers listing products containing Xinjiang cotton, which has been banned from US imports since September 2020. 1307) through issuance of Withhold Release Orders (WRO) and findings to prevent merchandise produced in whole or in part in a foreign country using forced labor from being imported into the United States. Tweet. The survey estimates that 301,827 children ages 5 to 17 perform hazardous work in rural areas of Paraguay and indicates that children working in agriculture experience accidents and illnesses, including from using dangerous tools and handling chemicals. "We have carefully scrutinized our supplier relationships and came to the conclusion that contrary to what has been stated elsewhere we had no partnership or supply relationship whatsoever with the company named in this context. The survey estimates that 4,877 child laborers grow carrots throughout rural areas in Paraguay. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 17 grow carrots in Paraguay. There is evidence that children ages 5 to17 produce furniture in Vietnam. While the U.S. directly imported about 5 percent of its solar cells and modules from China, it is likely that additional solar cells and modules made with polysilicon produced with forced labor enter the U.S. through other countries. The survey estimates that 301,827 children ages 5 to 17 perform hazardous work in rural areas of Paraguay and indicates that children working in agriculture experience accidents and illnesses, including from using dangerous tools and handling chemicals. Some children work alone or with their families as bonded laborers in the factories. That year, Calvin Klein said it would cut ties with any factories connected to cotton production in Xinjiang over the next 12 months. Child laborers usually do not attend school, and girls working at the mines are particularly vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation. According to international researchers and NGOs, numerous incidents of forced child labor have been reported in Cambodia. Additionally, laborers work under the threat of penalties, which include the withholding of wages, restricted movement, and the withholding of their identification documents. Families working on tobacco estates sometimes become bonded to their landlords, and their children are forced to work to repay their family debts. These forcibly-recruited children do not have freedom of movement and do not receive payment for their work. #block-googletagmanagerfooter .field { padding-bottom:0 !important; } The survey estimates that 4,146 child laborers grow cabbages throughout rural areas in Paraguay. Due to the long hours worked, many child workers in this sector are unable to attend school. There are reports of some workers being threatened with physical violence or physically abused for leaving their jobs. Based on an analysis by international organizations of the Government of Costa Ricas National Household Survey (ENAHO) 2011, published in 2015, 8.8 percent of child laborers in the country, or approximately 1,422 children ages 5-14, were in child labor in coffee production in Costa Rica. Cobalt is used in the production of nearly all lithium-ion batteries. The survey estimates that 142,127 child laborers raise cattle throughout rural areas in Paraguay. The Government of Brazils 2015 National Household Survey considers all work performed by children below age 14 to be child labor. In 2016, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that 40.3 million people are enslaved across the world. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Brazils commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. The ILO has found that generally, children who work in livestock cultivation may be at risk of exposure to hazards including working long hours, being injured by the animals, and exposure to the elements, diseases, and chemicals such as disinfectants. "Esquel has never, and will never, use forced or coerced labor. Child labor in this sector is concentrated in the rural areas of Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, and Shiselweni. Many children incur injuries on the job, including skin infections and cuts from sharp cane leaves or knives. Approximately 32.9 percent, or 91,753, of these child laborers are under 15 years old, which is the minimum age for employment in Vietnam. Of the $4.3 billion in lithium-ion battery imports to the United States in 2020, 47.22 percent ($2.1 billion) were imported from China. While employers are legally required to provide food and medical care, workers are not provided with these services and must borrow money from their employer at high interest rates; workers are also sometimes charged for services they do not receive. There is evidence that children under the age of 14 produce baked goods in Pakistan. The survey indicates that more boys than girls are engaged in child labor in hog raising. The most recently available data from an NGO study indicates that hundreds of children are exploited in this manner. ", In 2021, CEO Craig Jelinek said the following regarding the allegations:"We take our code of conduct very seriously, and we do many audits, not only our suppliers, make sure that they're doing audits, but we also as a company do audits. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 17 grow tomatoes in Paraguay. A silk cocoon is the protective casing a silkworm spins around itself before metamorphosing into a moth. CBP Modifies Withhold Release Order on Natchi Apparel (P) Ltd. DHS Takes Action to Combat Forced Labor and Hold Companies Accountable for Exploiting Workers, CBP issues Withhold Release Order on Brightway Group, CBP Issues Withhold Release Order on Malaysian Glove Producers, CBP Issues Withhold Release Order on Tomatoes Produced by Farm in Mexico, CBP Issues Withhold Release Order on Supermax Corporation Bhd. According to media reports and local government officials, child labor is systemic in the illegal amber extraction industry and is a growing problem. A large number of these violations occur in the state of Minas Gerais, which is responsible for about 70 percent of the coffee produced in the country. In 2016, the Government of Paraguay published representative results from the Survey of Activities of Rural Area Children and Adolescents 2015. @media only screen and (min-width: 0px){.agency-nav-container.nav-is-open {overflow-y: unset!important;}} In addition to this, poor workers in rural areas may also experience coercion without detention. NGOs and media sources have documented hundreds of children working in mica across these states. Workers also report finding themselves in overcrowded and unsanitary housing facilities with no access to potable water, latrines, electricity, and medical care. The ILO has found that generally children who work in agriculture may be at risk of exposure to hazards including, working long hours, carrying heavy loads, using dangerous tools, and exposure to the elements, physical injuries, and chemicals, such as pesticides. According to the survey, almost 13 percent of Paraguayan children engaged in child labor in agriculture do not attend school. There is evidence that children ages 5 to 17 in Vietnam cultivate rubber. These children are held against their will on isolated farms, are locked in their living quarters at night, and are threatened and beaten if they attempt to escape. Based on an analysis of Mexicos National Survey of Occupation and Employment Child Labor Module 2017, an estimated 17,826 children work in garment production. However, many workers are also known to quarry stone in informal, artisanal quarries, including many children. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Brazils commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgement that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. In 2016, the Government of Paraguay published representative results from the Survey of Activities of Rural Area Children and Adolescents 2015. The site is secure. ", That year, Nike said in a statement that it "does not source products" from Xinjiang and that it "confirmed with our contract suppliers that they are not using textiles or spun yarn from the region.". Based on the most recently available data from the ILO, it is estimated that almost a quarter of the migrants working in the sugarcane harvest are children under age 14, of which many are working in conditions of forced labor Many children work with their families under conditions of bonded labor. Approximately 67,141 child laborers raising cattle are below the minimum age for employment in Paraguay. Based on estimates from international organizations, NGOs, and academic researchers, thousands of children work in Rajasthans sandstone quarries. The site is secure. Are your imported goods subject to a WRO or Finding? The kilns use a system of bonded labor in which children often work alongside other members of their debt-bonded families. According to a Government of Uganda official, sand harvesting is one of the main occupations in which child laborers work. There are more than 100,000 coffee plantations in Minas Gerais, with an estimated 245,000 workers, most working informally, thus increasing the probability of their exploitation. @media only screen and (min-width: 0px){.agency-nav-container.nav-is-open {overflow-y: unset!important;}} There are reports that children ages 10 to 17 mine or harvest sand in Kenya. This industry has its peaks of high demand for workers during holiday seasons. This research suggests that further downstream products of palm fruit and palm oil, such as cooking oils, animal feed, bakery items and baked goods, beverages, household and industrial products, personal care and cosmetic products, infant formula, and biofuels, may be produced with an input produced with child labor and forced labor. Children from low-income families in the Polesia region of western Ukraine, including in Rivne, Volyn, and Zhytomyr Oblasts, are particularly vulnerable to involvement in amber extraction. Those who are most vulnerable are also those most susceptible to being targeted for trafficking. Some children also experience physical abuse in the quarries. There are reports that children, most between the ages of 8-17, are forced to produce garments in India. In Cambodia, bovines are primarily used for domestic consumption and for farming purposes, and are raised by approximately 1.4 million smallholders primarily located in provinces bordering the Mekong River, with a heavy concentration found in the southern rice-producing provinces. Brick workers, including children, are forced to work without masks, goggles, gloves, shoes, or other safety equipment. There are reports that adults are forced to work in the production of fish on Taiwans distant-water fishing fleet. U.S. Child labor occurs at unregulated artisanal and small-scale gold mining sites, including riverbeds in Mudzi and Mazowe. The survey considers a child to be engaged in child labor if the child is working an excessive number of hours per week for his or her age, or if the child is engaged in work that is prohibited for underage employees according to national legislation. Quarry owners withhold workers wages as repayment for this debt, which in turn continuously accumulates due to compound interest and additional expenses. The survey considers a working child to be engaged in child labor if the child is below the minimum age for employment of 14 or the child is performing work that is hazardous according to national legislation. In 2020, the U.S. obtained about 60 percent of its $1 billion in refined palm oil imports from Indonesia. According to the survey, almost 13 percent of Paraguayan children engaged in child labor in agriculture do not attend school. Children perform hazardous forms of work, including mixing, handling, and spraying pesticides. Further, reports indicate little pay, mandatory Mandarin lessons, ideological indoctrination, and poor living conditions. Monitoring teams discover multiple cases of compulsory mobilization across several districts of the country each year. Boys work in dangerous conditions in the mines, collecting soil from deep, open pits. In 2020, solar cells and modules imported from China accounted for over $24 billion. Reports from the United Nations (UN) and media indicate that between 5,000 and 6,000 children from Benin alone were forced to work in the granite quarries; multiple government rescue operations identified between 50 and 200 children engaged in this work at a time. According to available reports, indigenous farmworkers from impoverished regions of central and southern Mexico are particularly vulnerable to forced labor in the agricultural sector due to low education levels, linguistic barriers, and discrimination. The survey considers a working child to be engaged in child labor if the child is below the minimum age for employment of 14 or the child is performing work that is hazardous according to national legislation. Although khat (Catha edulis) is legal in Ethiopia, the plant releases two highly addictive central nervous system stimulants cathinone and cathine whose acute and long-term neurological effects include khat-induced psychosis. Per our policies, forced labor is considered a zero-tolerance issue.". "We also meet or exceed international standards, such as those found in the Responsible Business Alliance Code of Conduct; conduct regular independent audits of our suppliers; provide remediation where we find issues; and report our performance transparently.". ILAB now updates and publishes the List every other year, pursuant to changes in the law. The reason? In 2016, the Government of Paraguay published representative results from the Survey of Activities of Rural Area Children and Adolescents 2015. ILAB published theinitial TVPRA List in 2009and updated it annually through 2014, following a set of procedural guidelines that were the product of an intensive public consultation process. Migrant children from Laos and Burma are particularly vulnerable. Based on analysis of the 2016 Cambodian Socio-Economic Survey, an estimated 59,693 children are involved in child labor in the production of bovines. Victims report being coerced or tricked in their home countries into working on Thai fishing vessels by brokers who promise jobs in other sectors, and then being held in forced labor for up to 10 years. The survey estimates that 301,827 children ages 5 to 17 perform hazardous work in rural areas of Paraguay and indicates that children working in agriculture experience accidents and illnesses, including from using dangerous tools and handling chemicals. In many cases, children drop out of school to work on tobacco farms. The 2020 Australian Strategic Policy Institute report also identified Calvin Klein among the companies that could have directly or indirectly benefited from forced labor in China. The 78-page report says "every major car brand" including Ford, GM, Tesla, and Toyota is at "high risk" of sourcing parts from companies linked to these human-rights abuses. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Based on an analysis of the Ghana Living Standards Survey, an estimated 10,049 child laborers are involved in the raising of bovines. They are punished by their employers with physical abuse. Based on the Government of Vietnams National Child Labor Survey 2012, the results of which were published in 2014, an estimated 6,049 child laborers work in textile production, mainly in the fabrication and finishing stages of the process. Check the Withhold Release Orders and Findings List for information on any merchandise that may be subject to exclusion and/or seizure. Based on an analysis of Mexicos National Survey of Occupation and Employment Child Labor Module 2017, an estimated 18,501 children work in cattle raising. In 2016, the Government of Paraguay published representative results from the Survey of Activities of Rural Area Children and Adolescents 2015, a representative survey of childrens work in rural areas. Many of these victims report being recruited by middlemen, called enganchadores, that lie to workers about the nature and conditions of the work, wages, hours, and quality of living conditions. One source estimates that there are as many as 10,000 children working in the sector. The release of this survey demonstrates the Government of Pakistans commitment to addressing child labor and its acknowledgment that data collection is vital to the design and implementation of sound policies and programs. These children are paid little, if at all. Insider was unable to contact the following companies for comment: Hetian Taida, Litai Textiles, Mayor, GAC Group, MG, Tsinghua Tongfang, Urumqi Shengshi Huaer Culture Technology Co., Yili Zhuo Wan Garment Manufacturing Co., and Zhihui Haipai Internet of Things Technology Co. Below, see the responses of the companies that chose to comment. Some children are forced to work under threat of physical violence. ol{list-style-type: decimal;} China has 98 percent of the world's manufacturing capacity for photovoltaic ingots; 97 percent for photovoltaic wafers; 81 percent for solar cells; and 77 percent for solar modules, all of which are made with polysilicon. [CDATA[/* >