The Manifest Modernization Act: Enhancing Visibility Into Forced Labor Risks in U.S. Supply Chains
The Manifest Modernization Act enhances forced labor risk identification, assists Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in trade enforcement action, levels the playing field for legitimate trade, and creates a harmonized approach to data transparency in the United States. Despite the clear advantages of publishing customs records, the United States only makes a limited segment of customs data available to the public, leaving large swathes of trade activity invisible. Expanding access to customs records will increase the United States’ (and other countries’) ability to identify imports of forced-labor-made goods and protect legitimate international trade.
This policy brief explains the history and the stakes of making the US’s manifest data more transparent.
Published by Center for Strategic and International Studies (December 2025)