Update: US Government Issues Sweeping XUAR Ban

Today, US Customs and Border Protection issued a sweeping, region-wide ban on all cotton-based products with content from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). This is an extraordinarily strong action, representing the depth of the forced labor crisis in the region. The WRC estimates that more than 1.5 billion garments containing Xinjiang cotton or yarn enter the US each year. All of these imports are now banned.

From the standpoint of university logo apparel, this new ban aligns exactly with the guidance the WRC issued to licensees six months ago. That guidance advised licensees that, to comply with university labor standards, they must ensure there is no cotton or yarn from Xinjiang in their collegiate products. With today’s announcement, that obligation is now driven not only by universities’ standards but by a US government order—one that applies not only to collegiate goods but to all cotton-based apparel products.

As you know, the WRC is working with licensing agents and licensees to ensure that licensees are complying with their obligation to ensure that their collegiate goods have no Xinjiang content. We will continue to update you on this vital issue.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions.