Expeditors International of Washington : EU Parliament Approves Ban of Products Made with Forced Labor

On April 23, 2024, the European Parliament approved a ban of products made with forced labor. The ban will allow the EU to prohibit the sale, import, and export of goods made using forced labor.

Member state authorities and the European Commission can investigate suspicious goods, supply chains, and manufacturers. If a product is deemed made using forced labor, it will no longer be possible to sell it on the EU market (including online) and shipments will be intercepted at the EU's borders.

Decisions to investigate will be based on factual and verifiable information that can be received from international organizations and cooperating authorities. Several risk factors and criteria will be taken into account, including the prevalence of state-imposed forced labor in certain economic sectors and geographic areas.

Manufacturers of banned goods will have to withdraw their products from the EU single market and donate, recycle, or destroy them. Non-compliant companies could be fined. The goods may be allowed back into the EU single market once the company eliminates forced labor from its supply chains.

The final step in the approval process is approval of the ban by the EU Council. It will then be published in the Official Journal. EU countries will have to start applying it in 3 years.

The European Parliament press release can be found here: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240419IPR20551/products-made-with-forced-labour-to-be-banned-from-eu-single-market