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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Christopher Knaus and Helen Davidson

Australia exposed to modern slave labour imports and many businesses ‘ignoring the facts’, commissioner warns

In this file image from undated video footage run by China's CCTV, Muslim trainees work in a garment factory at the Hotan Vocational Education and Training Center in Hotan, Xinjiang.
Using freedom of information laws, the Guardian obtained details of 3,347 import declarations that name eight US-blacklisted companies as suppliers of materials to Australian importers since 2020. Photograph: AP Video

Australia’s new anti-slavery commissioner has called on the government to urgently address the “inadequacy” of its forced labour laws after revelations that it had allowed thousands of imports from Chinese companies blacklisted for their alleged links to Uyghur workers.

Guardian Australia revealed on Monday that Australia had received thousands of imports from Chinese companies blacklisted by the United States over alleged links to Uyghur forced labour.

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