EU to ban sale of products made with forced labor

The European Union this week announced an agreement to ban products made with forced labor, a decision that will oblige organizations to track and declare more information about their supply chains for goods entering EU markets.

A framework to enforce the ban will give the European Commission new investigatory powers based on technological solutions and cooperation with other authorities and countries. Products that are found to have been made using forced labor will not be allowed to be sold within the European Union, either directly or online. They might be confiscated at the borders, and companies that do not comply will be fined.

“Goods of strategic or critical importance for the Union may be withheld until the company eliminates forced labor from its supply chains,” European Parliament said in a press release Tuesday.