U.S. lawmakers ask Biden administration why some China solar giants left off slave labor list (updated)

Xinte Energy

12/07/2022 18:14

(Adds no immediate comment from U.S. officials and Chinese
companies, updates number of letter signatories)
    July 12 (Reuters) - Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday asked
U.S. customs officials to explain why three major Chinese solar
energy companies were excluded from a list of importers whose
products are banned under a new law aimed at cracking down on
forced labor.
    Expanding the scope of barred products could threaten U.S.
solar panel supplies at a time the import-dependent industry is
already grappling with supply chain disruptions, transmission
constraints and other obstacles. Those challenges are a major
headwind to President Joe Biden's goal to decarbonize the U.S.
power sector by 2035.
    The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) took effect
last month to cut U.S. purchases of products from Xinjiang,
where Chinese authorities are reported to have established
forced labor camps for ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslim groups.
    Beijing denies abuses in Xinjiang, but says it has set up
"vocational training centers" to curb what it says was
terrorism, separatism and religious radicalism in the region.
    The law gives U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
discretion over which companies' imports should be banned, and
its list currently includes several makers of solar-grade
polysilicon, a raw material used to produce solar panels.
    In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro
Mayorkas and CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus, seven House
Democrats led by Tim Ryan of Ohio requested information on how a
federal task force compiled its list.
    It asks specifically why JinkoSolar Holding Co Ltd  JKS.N ,
Xinte Energy Co Ltd  1799.HK  and Longi Solar  601012.SS  were
left off the list even though all three were included in a 2021
report by geopolitical risk consultancy Horizon Advisory that
found signs of ties to forced labor in their supply chains. 
    "We recognize the increasing importance solar energy will
assume in reducing future greenhouse gas emissions and
mitigating the effects of climate change," the letter said.
"However, this recognition, along with the relative
under-diversification of the solar industry’s supply chain,
cannot cause the U.S. to compromise on values as fundamental as
our commitment to upholding human rights."
    Officials from the Department of Homeland Security, CBP and
the three companies were not immediately available for comment.
    JinkoSolar said in 2021 it condemned the use of forced labor
and was committed to doing business ethically and lawfully. It
signed a pledge, along with Longi Solar, aimed at ensuring the
solar supply chain is free of forced labor. It is not clear
whether Xinte Energy has commented publicly on the matter.

 (Reporting by Nichola Groom
Editing by Mark Potter)
 ((nichola.groom@thomsonreuters.com;))