US government adds dozens of new commodities traced through global supply chains to list of goods linked to forced labour, child labour

Global forced labour and child labour are still on the rise, and more goods are being traced through global supply chains that are found to be produced with forced labour or child labour, according to the United States government.?

The United States Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) released this month its latest report on the department’s findings on the worst forms of child labour, as well as its updated list of goods produced by forced labour or child labour – many of which are being traced back to global supply chains.?

The reports reveal pervasive child labour situations in 131 countries and territories, including 204 goods from 82 countries that the US government has reason to believe are produced by child labour or forced labour and in violation of international standards. Of the new goods added to this list, at least 43 were traced through global supply chains. ?

“The complexity of global supply chains is not an excuse for inaction,” the United States Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) said in its Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor report. “We need to make it so that companies can't afford not to address labor rights in their supply chains,” ILAB added in a Linkedin post .?

At least 86% of forced labour is found in the private sector, according to ILAB, in homes, mines, factories, or fields that are “often where global supply chains begin.”?

EiQ supply chain data echoes critical risk levels for child labour ?

Data from LRQA’s supply chain due diligence software, EiQ , also reflects findings from ILAB’s reports. Collated from more than 25,000 onsite audits per year across more than 170 sourcing countries and provinces, EiQ data reiterates the prevalence of forced labour and child labour risks in global supply chain markets.?

EiQ shows regions in the past year with the most extreme levels of child labour risk include Cambodia, Tanzania, China, India, Malaysia, Ghana, C?te d'Ivoire, among many others. ?Countries that showed the biggest increase in child labour risk from the previous year – meaning an increase in audit violations related to child labour – included countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand and South Korea.?

Curious to learn more about data and analytics that support supply chain due diligence? Get a free demo of our EiQ platform , which helps businesses adhere to due diligence regulations, increase supplier visibility, and to maintain supply chain integrity.??

"The complexity of global supply chains is not an excuse for inaction”?

Where are businesses and their supply chains falling short? Lack of visibility and traceability solutions continually create challenges for businesses with supply chain partners across the globe. ILAB noted improved traceability systems are crucial to ensuring human rights violations and forced labour issues are being addressed and mitigated across corporate supply chains.?

“The complexity of global supply chains is not an excuse for inaction,” the United States Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) said in its latest Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor report.?

Businesses must start taking responsibility for the violations occurring on their sites and in their factories. This means gaining better visibility of each link in their production line and the risks associated with each.?

With a more targeted and data-driven approach, businesses can audit more effectively based on higher-risk areas and implement remediation efforts in a more intentional way. ?

Contact us to learn how to improve your human rights due diligence and increase supply chain visibility.

Training suppliers on child labour due diligence ?

Aligning suppliers with expectations, targets, and regulatory compliance will support your supply chain risk management and remediation. Our digital learning service empowers suppliers to implement business best practice and offers training courses in local languages on various supply chain ESG topics. ?

The ‘Recognising Child Labour’ course on EiQ Learn teaches companies how to spot and prevent child labour in their supply chains. After completing this 21-minute interactive course, you’ll understand the causes and consequences of child labour, the regulations that govern the protection of children, and how to tackle child labour in your supply chain.?

Access this course for free by clicking here and entering the branch code ‘insights’.?

Businesses around the world are using the EiQ Learn to understand supply chain risks, align with regulatory requirements, and support supplier compliance and remediation.?

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