A New Supply Chain Risk: The Implications of Forced Labor and Section 301 Investigations

The U.S. Trade Representative’s announcement earlier this spring of 60 new Section 301 investigations may not have sent you immediately to your human rights team — but it should have. The USTR alleges that weak enforcement of forced labor rules in 60 countries may have unfairly lowered the cost of producing goods. If proven, the remedy could include tariffs.

For global companies, forced labor is no longer only a sustainability issue. It is now also a supply chain, procurement, finance, legal, and compliance issue. It is a board-level material risk issue. 

Is your supply chain due diligence process mature enough to identify and manage forced labor exposure? Can you confidently tell finance that your company is mitigating the risk of new tariffs, shipment delays, or goods being stopped at the border? 

Join Erica Salmon Byrne and Craig Moss of Ethisphere, and Patrick Neyts of Vectra International on June 22 for a practical discussion on what these investigations mean for global companies, their supply chains, and the internal partnership required between procurement, sustainability, legal, compliance, and finance.