US Blocks Palm
Oil from Two Indonesia Cos Over Forced Labor
·
Action
Taken:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued Withhold Release Orders (WROs) against
palm oil and derivative products from Mitra Aneka Rezeki
(MAR)
and Hardaya Inti Plantation (HIP) in Indonesia.
·
Reason: Evidence
of forced
labor practices,
including debt bondage, withheld wages, deception, excessive overtime, abusive conditions,
intimidation, and abuse of vulnerability.
·
Additional
Findings: MAR workers also faced retention of identity documents and isolation.
·
Legal
Basis:
Violations of 19
U.S.C. § 1307, which prohibits goods made with forced labor from entering the U.S.
·
Enforcement: Effective
immediately, CBP will detain shipments at all U.S. ports of entry. Importers may
destroy, export, or prove goods were not made with forced labor.
·
Evidence
Sources: Interviews, payroll slips, harvest quotas,
photos, NGO/government reports, media, and academic research.
·
Scope: CBP now
enforces 60
WROs
and 8
Findings under the law.
·
Reporting: Allegations
of forced labor can be submitted via CBP’s Forced Labor Allegation Portal.
[ABS News Service/30.09.2026]
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
issued two Withhold Release Orders (WROs) against palm oil and its derivative products
produced by Mitra Aneka Rezeki (MAR) and Hardaya Inti Plantation (HIP), two palm oil plantations in Indonesia.
Effective immediately, CBP personnel at all U.S. ports of entry will detain shipments
of palm oil and its derivative products produced by MAR and HIP due to evidence
reasonably indicating the use of forced labor in their
production.
“Exploiting workers is inhumane and damaging
to our economic and national security,” said CBP Office of Trade Executive Assistant
Commissioner Susan S. Thomas. “Not only are these workers suffering from lack of
proper conditions and pay, but the goods they’re forced to produce can put American
businesses and consumers at risk.”
Both WROs were issued due to violations
of 19 U.S.C. § 1307, the law prohibiting goods made with forced labor from entering the United States. When CBP has evidence indicating that
imported goods are made using forced labor, the agency detain
those shipments through WROs.
Both WROs are the result of a CBP review
that MAR and HIP use forced labor to produce palm oil
and its derivative products in Indonesia. During its review, CBP analyzed the following supporting evidence: interview transcripts,
payroll slips, harvest quota information, photographs, open-source non-governmental
organization and other government agency reports, news media, and academic research.
Taken together, the evidence demonstrated that
workers at MAR and HIP are subject to the following International Labour Organization
(ILO) indicators of forced labor: debt bondage, withholding
of wages, deception, excessive overtime, abusive working and living conditions,
intimidation and threats, and abuse of vulnerability. In addition, workers at MAR
are also subject to retention of identity documents and isolation. The facts underlying
these indicators show, by reasonable suspicion, that workers are engaged in forced
labor (i.e., work performed involuntarily and under menace
of penalty). Additionally, CBP trade import data demonstrates that
the goods are being, or are likely to be, imported into the United States.
Both WROs against MAR and HIP highlight
CBP’s continued efforts to combat forced labor. With this
action, CBP now oversees and enforces 60 WROs and eight Findings under 19 U.S.C.
§ 1307.
Importers of detained shipments may seek
to destroy or export their shipments or seek to demonstrate that the merchandise
was not produced with forced labor.
CBP
receives allegations of forced labor from a variety of
sources including government agencies, media, non-governmental organizations, and
members of the public. Any person or organization that has reason to believe merchandise
produced with forced labor is being, or is likely to be,
imported into the United States can report allegations through CBP’s Forced Labor
Allegation Portal.