Supply chain mapping and the transparency wave of the future

On Oct. 1, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced withhold release orders[1] covering five imported products from five countries. The companies, ranging from apparel producers in Asia to conflict mineral miners in Africa and Brazil, are prohibited from importing their goods into the U.S. until they can demonstrate that their goods are not produced using forced labor.

In a morning press conference, Brenda Smith, Customs and Border Protection executive assistant commissioner for trade, described the work that the agency does, which includes the enforcement of more than 500 federal laws, trade agreements and international trade regulations, and stated that forced labor is one of the most difficult challenges the agency faces.

Smith said that, although most regions of the world outlaw forced labor and human trafficking, more than 24 million people work in forced conditions “in the shadows and undetected.”

The key problem is a lack of supply chain transparency, even within supply chains that have been vetted and investigated. Achieving supply chain transparency is critical and requires constant dynamic action and evaluation.

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