Latest news with #U.S.HouseForeignAffairsCommittee
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
US to punish top ANC officials over foreign policy, graft allegations
President Cyril Ramaphosa Former South African ambassador to US, Ebrahim Rasool. ANC first deputy secretary general Nomvula Mokonyane. South Africa's relationship with the United States is on a diplomatic knife-edge, as the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee push forward a bill that could see senior African National Congress (ANC) leaders hit with sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes. The proposed U.S. – South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025 calls for a sweeping 120-day probe into Pretoria's foreign policy stance, targeting individuals accused of corruption or of acting against American interests. The looming sanctions have intensified diplomatic tensions, placing several senior ANC figures squarely in the crosshairs. President Cyril Ramaphosa, ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe, former International Relations Minister Dr. Naledi Pandor, ANC First Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane, and former U.S. Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool have all been flagged as potential targets of the proposed U.S. action. The bill's advancement has triggered a political storm in Pretoria, with ANC leaders condemning it as an affront to South Africa's sovereignty and its right to pursue an independent foreign policy. Although the U.S. legislation stops short of naming individuals, growing pressure is falling squarely on President Ramaphosa and his cabinet, whose diplomatic choices have increasingly drawn fire from U.S. lawmakers. At the heart of the growing rift is South Africa's vocal and consistent defence of Palestine. Pretoria has become one of the strongest international voices condemning Israel's war on Palestinians, and this has not gone unnoticed in Washington. The South African government's move to initiate a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza was seen as a deliberate shift away from its previously neutral stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Alongside this, Pretoria's growing alignment with Russia, China, and Iran has further strained its relationship with the U.S., who view these ties as contradictory to American geopolitical interests. President Ramaphosa, who has steered South Africa's foreign policy in this direction, faces intense scrutiny. His administration's engagement with Russia and its stance on the Middle East has drawn sharp rebuke from U.S. lawmakers, who have accused South Africa of aligning with authoritarian regimes and undermining democratic values. U.S. diplomats have expressed frustration over Ramaphosa's outspoken criticism of U.S. policy, particularly on issues such as Israel and the war in Gaza. In June, IOL reported that President Ramaphosa released a cautious statement calling for dialogue and a peaceful resolution to rising geopolitical tensions. His remarks highlighted South Africa's sensitive diplomatic position, balancing its longstanding relationship with Iran and its vocal criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza. 'President Cyril Ramaphosa and the South African government have noted with a great deal of anxiety the entry by the United States of America into the Israel-Iran war," the statement read. 'It was South Africa's sincerest hope that President Donald Trump would use his influence and that of the US government to prevail on the parties to pursue a dialogue path in resolving their issues of dispute. 'South Africa calls on the United States, Israel, and Iran to give the United Nations the opportunity and space to lead on the peaceful resolution of the matters of dispute, including the inspection and verification of Iran's status of uranium enrichment, as well as its broader nuclear capacity,' the statement reads. Gwede Mantashe, serving as both ANC National Chairperson and Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, is among those who could come under scrutiny. He was named in the Zondo Commission report, which linked him to alleged corrupt dealings with the now-defunct facilities company Bosasa. The report detailed claims that Mantashe received illicit security upgrades at his properties, allegations he has consistently denied, but which continue to cast a shadow over his political standing. Nomvula Mokonyane, ANC First Deputy Secretary-General and former Minister of Environmental Affairs, also appears to be in Washington's sights. Her alleged involvement in the Bosasa corruption scandal remains a point of concern, but it is her recent proposal to rename Sandton Drive, where the U.S. Consulate is located, to 'Leila Khaled Drive' that has drawn international attention. Khaled, a Palestinian militant associated with plane hijackings and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a group designated as a terrorist organisation by the U.S., has made Mokonyane's comments especially controversial, sparking widespread outrage and potentially deepening the diplomatic rift. Then there is Dr. Naledi Pandor, South Africa's former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, who has emerged as a central figure in the foreign policy debate. Her vocal defence of South Africa's position on Israel, along with continued diplomatic engagement with Iran and Hamas, has made her a lightning rod for criticism. U.S. lawmakers have accused Pandor of steering South Africa toward increasingly adversarial alliances, arguing that her actions are undermining the country's longstanding relationship with the West. Ibrahim Rasool, former South African Ambassador to the United States, has also come under scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers. Known for his outspoken criticism of U.S. foreign policy, especially regarding the Middle East and Israel, Rasool has often been at odds with American diplomats. His influential role in shaping the ANC's foreign policy during the Obama administration is now being reexamined amid Washington's broader review of its diplomatic relationship with South Africa. The ANC's response has been one of defiance, with ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula condemning the bill as an 'attack on our sovereignty.' Mbalula has warned that the proposed sanctions are part of a broader U.S. effort to undermine South Africa's political independence and foreign policy decisions. "There is no justification for sanctions against our leaders simply for standing up for what we believe is right, especially on the issue of Palestine," Mbalula said in a statement. While the US sanctions bill may pass into law, it is far from certain that the Trump administration will take immediate action. Joel Pollak, a former senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, suggested that the sanctions would likely be targeted at individuals deemed to be responsible for actions that go against U.S. interests. 'The Magnitsky Act is about holding people accountable for undermining democracy and supporting corrupt practices. This is not an attempt to punish South Africa, but to target those who undermine key democratic norms,' Pollak said. As the U.S. Congress moves closer to passing the bill, South Africa faces a crossroads in its relationship with the United States. Should the sanctions go ahead, it will signal a significant shift in South Africa's international standing, particularly with the U.S., and potentially mark the beginning of a new phase in its foreign policy, where its support for Palestine and criticism of Western powers takes centre stage. The Star [email protected]
IOL News
2 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
South Africa's diplomatic ties with the US hang in the balance amid proposed sanctions
President Cyril Ramaphosa Gwede Mantashe. Former South African ambassador to US, Ebrahim Rasool. ANC first deputy secretary general Nomvula Mokonyane. Naledi Pandor. South Africa's relationship with the United States is on a diplomatic knife-edge, as the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee push forward a bill that could see senior African National Congress (ANC) leaders hit with sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes. The proposed U.S. – South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025 calls for a sweeping 120-day probe into Pretoria's foreign policy stance, targeting individuals accused of corruption or of acting against American interests. The looming sanctions have intensified diplomatic tensions, placing several senior ANC figures squarely in the crosshairs. President Cyril Ramaphosa, ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe, former International Relations Minister Dr. Naledi Pandor, ANC First Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane, and former U.S. Ambassador Ibrahim Rasool have all been flagged as potential targets of the proposed U.S. action. The bill's advancement has triggered a political storm in Pretoria, with ANC leaders condemning it as an affront to South Africa's sovereignty and its right to pursue an independent foreign policy. Although the U.S. legislation stops short of naming individuals, growing pressure is falling squarely on President Ramaphosa and his cabinet, whose diplomatic choices have increasingly drawn fire from U.S. lawmakers. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ A Shift in Foreign Policy At the heart of the growing rift is South Africa's vocal and consistent defence of Palestine. Pretoria has become one of the strongest international voices condemning Israel's war on Palestinians, and this has not gone unnoticed in Washington. The South African government's move to initiate a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza was seen as a deliberate shift away from its previously neutral stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Alongside this, Pretoria's growing alignment with Russia, China, and Iran has further strained its relationship with the U.S., who view these ties as contradictory to American geopolitical interests. President Ramaphosa, who has steered South Africa's foreign policy in this direction, faces intense scrutiny. His administration's engagement with Russia and its stance on the Middle East has drawn sharp rebuke from U.S. lawmakers, who have accused South Africa of aligning with authoritarian regimes and undermining democratic values. U.S. diplomats have expressed frustration over Ramaphosa's outspoken criticism of U.S. policy, particularly on issues such as Israel and the war in Gaza. In June, IOL reported that President Ramaphosa released a cautious statement calling for dialogue and a peaceful resolution to rising geopolitical tensions. His remarks highlighted South Africa's sensitive diplomatic position, balancing its longstanding relationship with Iran and its vocal criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza. 'President Cyril Ramaphosa and the South African government have noted with a great deal of anxiety the entry by the United States of America into the Israel-Iran war," the statement read. 'It was South Africa's sincerest hope that President Donald Trump would use his influence and that of the US government to prevail on the parties to pursue a dialogue path in resolving their issues of dispute. 'South Africa calls on the United States, Israel, and Iran to give the United Nations the opportunity and space to lead on the peaceful resolution of the matters of dispute, including the inspection and verification of Iran's status of uranium enrichment, as well as its broader nuclear capacity,' the statement reads. Local ANC Leaders Under Scrutiny Gwede Mantashe, serving as both ANC National Chairperson and Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, is among those who could come under scrutiny. He was named in the Zondo Commission report, which linked him to alleged corrupt dealings with the now-defunct facilities company Bosasa. The report detailed claims that Mantashe received illicit security upgrades at his properties, allegations he has consistently denied, but which continue to cast a shadow over his political standing. Nomvula Mokonyane, ANC First Deputy Secretary-General and former Minister of Environmental Affairs, also appears to be in Washington's sights. Her alleged involvement in the Bosasa corruption scandal remains a point of concern, but it is her recent proposal to rename Sandton Drive, where the U.S. Consulate is located, to 'Leila Khaled Drive' that has drawn international attention. Khaled, a Palestinian militant associated with plane hijackings and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a group designated as a terrorist organisation by the U.S., has made Mokonyane's comments especially controversial, sparking widespread outrage and potentially deepening the diplomatic rift. Then there is Dr. Naledi Pandor, South Africa's former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, who has emerged as a central figure in the foreign policy debate. Her vocal defence of South Africa's position on Israel, along with continued diplomatic engagement with Iran and Hamas, has made her a lightning rod for criticism. U.S. lawmakers have accused Pandor of steering South Africa toward increasingly adversarial alliances, arguing that her actions are undermining the country's longstanding relationship with the West. Ibrahim Rasool, former South African Ambassador to the United States, has also come under scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers. Known for his outspoken criticism of U.S. foreign policy, especially regarding the Middle East and Israel, Rasool has often been at odds with American diplomats. His influential role in shaping the ANC's foreign policy during the Obama administration is now being reexamined amid Washington's broader review of its diplomatic relationship with South Africa. ANC Pushback The ANC's response has been one of defiance, with ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula condemning the bill as an 'attack on our sovereignty.' Mbalula has warned that the proposed sanctions are part of a broader U.S. effort to undermine South Africa's political independence and foreign policy decisions. "There is no justification for sanctions against our leaders simply for standing up for what we believe is right, especially on the issue of Palestine," Mbalula said in a statement. While the US sanctions bill may pass into law, it is far from certain that the Trump administration will take immediate action. Joel Pollak, a former senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, suggested that the sanctions would likely be targeted at individuals deemed to be responsible for actions that go against U.S. interests. 'The Magnitsky Act is about holding people accountable for undermining democracy and supporting corrupt practices. This is not an attempt to punish South Africa, but to target those who undermine key democratic norms,' Pollak said. As the U.S. Congress moves closer to passing the bill, South Africa faces a crossroads in its relationship with the United States. Should the sanctions go ahead, it will signal a significant shift in South Africa's international standing, particularly with the U.S., and potentially mark the beginning of a new phase in its foreign policy, where its support for Palestine and criticism of Western powers takes centre stage. The Star
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
US lawmakers advance bill that could sanction South Africa over its foreign policy
FILE PHOTO: Golfer Ernie Els speaks in the Oval Office during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo JOHANNESBURG - United States lawmakers have voted to advance a bill that proposes reviewing the U.S. relationship with South Africa due to objections over its foreign policy and potentially imposing sanctions on South African officials. The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 34-16 on Tuesday to send the "U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act" to the full House of Representatives, where it could be subject to a vote, according to a video of the proceedings. The measure would need to pass both the House and the Senate before it could be signed into law. Many bills at this stage never go to a vote. However, the committee's approval took the bill a step further and underscored tensions between Washington and Pretoria as South Africa seeks to fend off a looming 30% U.S. tariff and counter false claims of white "genocide" made by President Donald Trump. South Africa's foreign ministry and a spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa declined to comment. The bill was introduced in April by Ronny Jackson, a Republican congressman from Texas who cheered the move on X, writing: "South Africa made its choice when they abandoned America and our allies and sided with communists and terrorists". The bill accuses South Africa of undermining U.S. interests by maintaining close relationships with Russia and China, which are among its allies and trading partners. It also accuses South Africa of backing Palestinian militant group Hamas that is at war in Gaza with Israel, which South Africa has denied. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Judge asks prosecution for more information on Kpods in first case involving etomidate-laced vapes Singapore Male victim of fatal Toa Payoh fire was known to keep many things, say residents Singapore 5 teens arrested for threatening boy with knife, 2 charged with causing hurt Singapore HDB launches 10,209 BTO and balance flats, as priority scheme for singles kicks in Sport Bukayo Saka the difference as Arsenal beat AC Milan at National Stadium Singapore Cyclist charged after allegedly hitting elderly pedestrian, killing him Singapore Over 1.15 million Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 have claimed SG60 vouchers Singapore Singapore Oceanarium will enhance tourism while supporting sustainability: Grace Fu South Africa has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause and filed a case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice in 2023, which is mentioned in the bill as one of its concerns. The bill proposes "a full review of the bilateral relationship" and to "identify South African government officials and ANC leaders eligible for the imposition of sanctions". It later says that these would be people determined by Trump to have engaged in corruption or human rights abuses. No individuals are named. South Africa's relationship with the United States has sharply deteriorated during Trump's second term, during which he has accused the government of anti-white racism and started a refugee programme for Afrikaners, who are descendants of European settlers. REUTERS
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Is the US Still in the Fight Against Uyghur Forced Labor?
On Friday, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee greenlit the latest in a flurry of legislative activity to protect ethnic minorities caught in China's brutal crackdown on Muslim populations, including what several authorities say are crimes against humanity that amount to genocide, though Beijing itself denies this. The Uyghur Policy Act, originally introduced in the House of Representatives in 2023, has managed to pass with overwhelming bipartisan approval in both of the past two congressional terms without advancing further in the Senate. Young Kim, the Californian Republican who sponsored the bill, said it seeks to create a 'comprehensive, multilateral strategy' to raise international awareness of Uyghur persecution at home and abroad, direct the State Department to 'effectively respond' to human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and push back efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to 'silence Uyghur voices.' More from Sourcing Journal Xi Jinping Visits Vietnam, Says Trade Wars Yield 'No Winners' How European Luxury Home Firms Are Gearing Up for Worst-case Tariff Scenario Apparel Import Bookings Down Nearly 60% Ahead of 'Reciprocal' Tariffs It comes amid an especially fraught time for U.S.-China relations, which are spectacularly unraveling as a trade spat characterized by escalating mutual tariffs shows no end in sight. The United States has also slapped visa sanctions on several Thai officials over the unexpected deportation of 40 Uyghur asylum seekers to China on Beijing's request in February. Both the United Nations' refugee agency and Volker Türk, its human rights head, panned the deportations for not only endangering the Uyghurs, who are expected to face torture and long-term imprisonment upon their return, but also for breaching international law. Already, some saw the move as a sign that the United States was ceding the soft power that the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, funding—now 'fed to the woodchipper,' per billionaire and putative Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk—once supplied. But the DOGE-powered Trump administration could also be sabotaging its long-running endeavor to combat Uyghur persecution, most notably in the form of the four-year-old Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, or UFLPA, which imposes a rebuttable presumption that all goods made in whole or in part in Xinjiang are the product of forced labor and therefore impermissible in the United States under Section 307 of the 1930 Tariff Act. The aggressive withdrawal of federal money has pummeled the likes of USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy—which sued, somewhat successfully, to restore its funding—and the Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs. Even the State Department, under which the dismantled remnants of USAID now fall, could see its budget slashed by half next fiscal year, according to a leaked internal memo that targeted spending on humanitarian assistance, international peacekeeping, global health and international bodies such as the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. All of this has eaten into the operations of civil society organizations. Just last month, the Uyghur Human Rights Project sent an email requesting donations to broaden its advocacy, research and humanitarian efforts 'on behalf of the Uyghur people.' The Australian Strategic Policy Institute, which connected Uyghur forced labor to the fashion industry in a widely cited 2020 report, now has to suspend some of its research into China. And while China Labor Watch, a nonprofit whose mandate is 'shining light on labor practices kept in the dark,' had its frozen State Department funding restored last month in a rare rollback, peril still awaits in the form of continuing retrenchment. This could create blindspots for Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection—two agencies that are bucking the layoff trend by growing their workforce—that make enforcement more difficult, said Ana Hinojosa, president of ABH Global Trade Consulting and a former executive director at CBP. 'Because CBP is in the U.S., and a lot of forced labor occurs in foreign countries, they're very highly reliant on one, ILAB being able to provide information on where they're finding, from their assessments, where there is forced labor in certain industries, and two, the indispensable information from non-governmental organizations that are very focused on highlighting human rights issues in different parts of the world,' she said. Justin Dillon, CEO and founder of FRDM (pronounced 'freedom), an enterprise-grade software-as-a-service platform that helps companies manage regulatory and trade risks in the supply chain, said he understands why the government is making these cuts. But he also said that by failing to measure twice and cut once, it risks shutting down programs that can determine where forced labor comes from. 'CBP is hiring to get more auditors to audit shipments of which they require nonprofit data to inform their auditing,' he said. 'Does that make sense? What this administration is doing is it's cutting off a data flow, meaning it's allowing for unfair labor practices to happen elsewhere that is actually hurting U.S. jobs. We all agree that goods made with forced labor are unfair. We all agree that slavery is cheating. And the amount of funding being used to reduce forced labor elsewhere is just so small.' Uyghurs who are being coerced into picking cotton in Xinjiang or forcibly dispatched to factories thousands of miles away from home are just part of that. Just last week, the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, a group of anti-slavery advocates chaired by former British prime minister Theresa May, warned that 'millions of lives are at risk' unless urgent, coordinated humanitarian action is taken to eliminate modern slavery across the globe by 2030. Writing in a report that she delivered to UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York on Thursday, May denounced the fact that there are 28 million victims of forced labor globally as a 'moral stain on our humanity.' 'We see this as one of the biggest threats to progress on ending modern slavery, for slavery globally in years,' Chloe Cranston, head of thematic advocacy at Anti-Slavery International, the world's oldest anti-slavery organization, said of massive curtailment of U.S. foreign aid. 'Ultimately, one of the reasons forced labor is happening is because people are forced to take riskier opportunities to survive, and what's happened here is those protections that supported people to not have to take those risky decisions have been taken away.' And that's only in the short term. In the long run, the hobbling of critical labor rights work to support collective bargaining and freedom of association could reverse decades of progress to create the type of enabling environments where modern slavery cannot thrive, 'creating an exponential rise in labor exploitation and forced labor,' she said. 'For us to hear that the Uyghur movement is affected is deeply, deeply concerning,' Cranston added. 'The Uyghur forced labor movement was already facing huge political obstacles due to the political economic influence of the Chinese government globally. So it is more important than ever that there is funding put behind sustaining the Uyghur movement.' Insiders describe, if not actions that appear at cross purposes, then at least something resembling cognitive dissonance between CBP's keenness to build and maintain relationships with civil society organizations, which it relies on to submit allegations of trade violations, and the handicapping of those same organizations. At the center of that is Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a co-author of the UFLPA and a vociferous supporter of enhanced enforcement that would implement the law to its fullest. Congressman Gregory Meeks, a New York Democrat, criticized Rubio for failing to prevent the Uyghur deportations from Thailand, saying in March that the Trump administration has 'undermined U.S. credibility on human rights and our influence abroad.' Others have looked askance at Rubio's appointment of Darren Beattie as the incoming undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, despite what lawmakers such as Congressman Jim McGovern, a Massachussets Democrat, called a 'disturbing record of denying that Uyghurs suffer genocide—despite such a determination made by the State Department.' In February, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat and ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the CCP, urged Beattie to retract statements such as 'Chinese aren't genocidal. They just object to uyghur supremacy and uyghurness' and 'Taiwan will inevitably belong to China, it's only a matter of time,' which were posted on then-Twitter and now-X in 2021 and 2024, respectively. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. A staffer at a human rights nonprofit, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of potential backlash, didn't see a disconnect, however. 'It's not that complicated; I don't think they care about human rights,' this person said of the White House. 'They don't really care about Uyghurs and they're proving it more when they drop funding. It's just political. Rubio doesn't want to ruffle any feathers. He wants to stick around as long as possible.' At the same time, some benefits can be drawn from the United States and China face-off, albeit with some caveats, said Adrian Zenz, a senior fellow in China studies at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. He said that the unprecedented tariffs 145 percent tariffs, together with the elimination of the so-called de minimis 'loophole,' will have a 'dramatic impact' on trade between the two countries, making it harder for products linked to Uyghur forced labor to enter the United States. 'However, this should not be seen as a panacea for addressing the Uyghur forced labor issue from a standpoint of UFLPA enforcement,' he said. 'First, goods made in whole or in part with items from Xinjiang often enter Western countries via other nations involving obfuscated supply chains. Second, the actual value of many items made with lower-skilled Uyghur labor as part of a final sale price is often so low that even a 145 percent tariff does not significantly affect their price relative to alternative imports, thus failing to deter their importation outright.' That combating forced labor in general and Uyghur forced labor in particular has always been one of the few issues both sides of the aisle can agree on is a source of befuddlement—and no small amount of frustration—to Luis a professor of practice at the University of Michigan Law School who served, during the Obama administration, as both director of the Department of Justice's Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehension, Registration and Tracking and an ambassador at large at the forefront of the State Department's work with tackling contemporary forms of slavery. 'CBP uses the DOL's list of goods produced by child labor or forced labor; that's the first thing they look at,' he said of the annual ILAB report, using an acronym for the Department of Labor. 'That's like taking away a highway patrolman's radar gun. If CDP can't immediately turn to DOL and say, 'What should we know about Argentina?' And then, DOL, because of the experts, are able to say, 'Watch out for, you know, X, Y and Z,' then you're blinding your watchdogs.' The on-again, off-again reciprocal tariffs—the most recent of which are temporarily paused—could further exacerbate conditions because everyone's getting squeezed, said. 'I think, with the stress that companies and countries are going to be in, that you're going to see unscrupulous employers turn to worker abuse as a way to try to retain some kind of profitability,' he said. 'Which means more people enslaved, more people suffering and more slave-tainted goods coming into the United States, which I don't think the U.S. consumer wants, right? That's not something that they voted for.' Li Qiang, founder and executive director at China Labor Watch, believes America's problem goes beyond funding. With a growing uncertainty in the human rights field about whether the U.S. government is still a reliable long-term partner, the 'erosion of trust' may lead some individuals and organizations to step away from the NGO space altogether, he said. 'The Trump administration's tough rhetoric on China and forced labor stands in contrast to the instability in funding and political support for human rights work,' he added. 'This contradiction sends mixed signals, raising concerns about the perceived neutrality of U.S.-funded human rights initiatives. While losing funding is never good news, even for organizations that still have support, the fight against forced labor remains incredibly challenging—especially when trust and continuity are in question.'
