The United States has banned the import of some solar products manufactured using forced labor in Xinjiang, and the Chinese government has been accused of genocide Muslim Uighurs and other ethnic minorities.

According to people familiar with the ban, the Biden government has banned the import of solar products produced by Xinjiang Hesheng Silicon Industry.

It also adds another five Companies that produce polysilicon The person familiar with the matter added that the US Department of Commerce’s “entity list” requires US companies to obtain government permits before conducting business with them, which is a raw material used by the solar industry.

The ban is the latest attempt by the Biden administration to pressure the Chinese government on this issue. Detaining more than 1 million Uyghurs And other Muslim minorities in northwestern Xinjiang.

This year, the United States has cooperated with the European Union, Canada and the United Kingdom, Impose sanctions Chinese officials on Xinjiang.

John Kerry, the top climate envoy of the Biden administration, told Congress last month that the United States is considering more sanctions, but did not specify whether this would involve a ban on solar imports or measures against Beijing officials.

The Trump administration last year Cotton imports There are also tomatoes from Xinjiang. From clothing retailers to solar panel manufacturers, companies are facing increasing pressure to ensure that forced labor is not used in their supply chains.

Congress is also considering legislation to require companies to ensure that their supply chains do not rely on forced labor in Xinjiang.

Chinese officials and researchers have described the allegations of forced labor as a strategy by the United States to undermine the international competitiveness of the country’s solar energy industry.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently regarded those who accused of forced labor in the solar supply chain as “black hands” with an anti-China agenda. “Their purpose is to fabricate lies about forced labor to force unemployment and delink from Xinjiang,” it said.

An article published last month by the Beijing-based China Going Global Think Tank argued that the United States is trying to “suppress China’s photovoltaic industry, promote the development of local industries, and effectively win a global leadership position.”

In an interview with the Financial Times before the finalization of the solar energy ban, John Smirno, a senior manager of the Solar Energy Industry Association, said that his team “has been sounding the alarm since last year” because of concerns that Washington will crack down on imports.

Smirno said that until a year ago, the US solar company’s exposure to Xinjiang was “quite large”, but the company had drastically reduced the proportion of such products in its supply chain.

He said the company realized it was difficult to persuade the customs to allow the import of solar energy from Xinjiang.

“At present, since it is impossible to conduct independent third-party audits of forced labor in Xinjiang, it is almost impossible to convince customs if you have panels or products from this region.”