U.S. Lawmakers Target Canada’s Role in Forced Uyghur Labor Imports
Congressional leaders question Liberal Minister Mary Ng over Chinese contraband blocked by U.S. and rerouted through Canada
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng has found herself at the center of growing concerns from U.S. lawmakers, who are raising alarms about Canada becoming a backdoor for goods produced with forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region, according to a letter from a bipartisan group of U.S. congressional leaders.
The letter, signed by Senators Marco Rubio and Jeff Merkley, hints at consequences for Ottawa ahead of a key review of North American trade agreements.
It could also renew an uncomfortable spotlight on Minister Ng, a Toronto-area MP for Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party, stemming from her controversial parliamentary vote in 2022 on issues related to Beijing’s human rights abuses against Uyghurs.
In the letter reviewed by The Bureau, dated September 18, U.S. lawmakers expressed frustration with Canada’s enforcement mechanisms, which they believe may be allowing goods tied to human rights abuses to flow into North American markets. The lawmakers cite a specific case in which solar panels, blocked by U.S. Customs under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), were rerouted through Canada before being stopped again by U.S. border officials.
The new trade law, passed in 2021, assumes that goods from China’s Xinjiang region are produced using forced labor unless proven otherwise. The legislation reflects heightened concern over China’s treatment of the Uyghur population, which the United States and other international bodies have described as genocide.
China’s abuse of Uyghurs has also become a critical issue for Canadian Parliamentarians. Ottawa’s ongoing Foreign Interference Inquiry has heard that Conservative lawmaker Michael Chong was targeted by Chinese intelligence operatives because he sponsored a motion to spotlight Beijing’s genocidal activity in Xinjiang, but Trudeau’s government failed to alert Chong that his family was being targeted.
Under the UFLPA, U.S. authorities have identified certain priority sectors, including solar panels, textiles, and agricultural products, that are at high risk of being produced by forced labor.
According to a U.S. government source, the case of a shipment of solar panels that was reportedly crudely relabeled and re-shipped through Canada has triggered heightened concern, reflected in the letter to Minister Ng.
"For example, we were told by U.S. CBP officials that a shipment of solar panels denied entry into the U.S. was subsequently imported into Canada, followed by an attempt to re-export them into the U.S.," the lawmakers wrote of the case.
On September 19, after mailing their letter to Minister Ng, Rubio and Merkley also made public statements.
"Forced labor is a horrific practice witnessed worldwide," Rubio stated in a press release, reiterating China’s “grotesque campaign of genocide against Uyghurs.”
Prior to the Ng letter, in June 2024, Merkley was asked by CBC if Ottawa was upholding its promise to block products made by forced labor, and bluntly stated: "No, not yet."
A new public tracking website has reported that the U.S. has detained nearly 9,800 shipments suspected of being linked to forced labor, with 3,976 of those shipments denied entry.
CBC reported that Merkley raised concerns that goods blocked in Oregon are being rerouted to Canadian ports like Vancouver and subsequently traded across North America. "They're trans-shipped elsewhere," he reportedly said. "While we don't have detailed information about where they're trans-shipped, the assumption of most people who follow this is they're shipped to Canada."
While Rubio and Merkley’s letter does not directly accuse Minister Ng of laxity regarding Canada’s enforcement issues, the situation is politically sensitive. Ng’s prior controversies regarding her votes on Uyghur-related issues add complexity to this already fraught scenario.
In 2022, Ng voted in favor of a parliamentary motion condemning China's genocide against the Uyghurs but later tried to reverse her vote.
“International Trade Minister Mary Ng voted to endorse the report that condemns China and seeks help for Uyghurs but her office put out a statement saying this was a mistake, and Ms. Ng subsequently distanced herself from the vote,” the Globe and Mail reported.
“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet abstained, as it did in February, 2021, when the House of Commons first called China’s conduct genocide,” the newspaper added.
The incident still resonates because of heightened scrutiny on Beijing’s meddling with Canadian MPs in recent federal elections. The Hogue Commission has heard candidates critical of China, including Ontario MP Michael Chong and former British Columbia MP Kenny Chiu, have been attacked by Chinese disinformation, while politicians favoured by Beijing are clandestinely supported.
Questions to Minister Ng for this story were forwarded to Global Affairs Canada.
The Bureau has not recieved a response by deadline for this story.
Transshipment Concerns
The letter also delves into the complex issue of transshipment, highlighting the difficulty of preventing goods produced in Xinjiang from entering North America through third-party countries. U.S. lawmakers are particularly worried that goods from Xinjiang are being processed in factories outside China, particularly in Southeast Asia, and then exported to the U.S. and Canada disguised as legitimate trade.
According to the lawmakers, transshipment schemes are often designed to evade detection, by intentionally complicating the supply chain to confuse border authorities. This method allows forced labor products to slip into North America through indirect channels, even after being blocked by U.S. customs.
The letter calls for more effective cross-border cooperation between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada to close these loopholes and ensure that goods tainted by forced labor do not enter the continent. U.S. lawmakers have made it clear that failing to address these gaps could strain Ottawa’s trade relationship with Washington.
“Lastly, we encourage you to consider the upcoming joint review that is scheduled to take place in July 2026 as an opportunity to codify the suggestions above,” the letter concludes.