Assessing the Impact of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act After Three Years
The UFLPA has now been in effect for three years, and policymakers and other stakeholders around the world are attempting to draw lessons from it. Canada and Mexico have adopted bans of goods made using forced labor, the European Union’s forced labor ban is set to come into effect in 2027, and other jurisdictions are considering similar measures. Three years is a relatively short window in which to evaluate policy measures, but stakeholders need to make evidence-based assessments now, not five years from now.
The following four questions offer a starting point for examining the UFLPA’s track record. First, has the U.S. government been able to enforce the law? Second, has it changed corporate behavior and increased compliance? Third, has the law led to negative consequences for those that do not comply? Fourth—perhaps most significant and most challenging to measure—has the law influenced the human rights situation and the lives and livelihoods of those it was meant to impact?
Published by Center for Strategic and International Studies (August 2025)