Import bans on products from forced labor in the Trump era

Abstract

The United States prohibited the imports of five products suspected to be made by forced labor from companies all over the world on 30 September 2019. This article contextualizes these Withhold Release Orders from the perspective of international law and politics. While the Donald Trump Administration's blunt and protectionist trade policy has been widely criticized, this article argues that it might also create an opening to rethink the multilateral trade regime that prioritizes free trade over the abolishment of forced labor.