Obama bans U.S. imports of slave-produced goods

Federal officials are preparing to enforce an 86-year-old ban on importing goods made by children or slaves under new provisions of a law signed by President Barack Obama.

"This law slams shut an unconscionable and archaic loophole that forced America to accept products made by children or slave labor," said Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat who worked on the legislation.

The Tariff Act of 1930, which gave Customs and Border Protection the authority to seize shipments when forced labor was suspected and block further imports, last was used in 2000 and has been used only 39 times total largely because of two words: "consumptive demand."

If there was not sufficient supply to meet domestic demand, imports were allowed regardless of how they were produced.

The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act signed by Obama on Wednesday eliminated that language, allowing stiffer enforcement.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner Gil Kerlikowske and agency leaders are planning a briefing today to explain how they'll be implementing the new law.

"If the U.S. government works to really keep out goods made with forced labor, this change will have a profound ripple effect on supply chains worldwide," said David Abramowitz, who advocated for the change as vice president for Humanity United.

To start an investigation, Customs needs to receive a petition from anyone -- a business, an agency, even a non-citizen -- showing "reasonably but not conclusively" that imports were made at least in part with forced labor.

A Labor Department list of more than 350 goods produced by child labor or forced labor provides a detailed breakdown human-rights groups plan to use as they petition the government to take action.

These goods include peanuts from Turkey, gold from Ghana, carpets from India and fish and shrimp from Thailand.

An expose by The Associated Press last year found Thai companies ship seafood to the U.S. that was caught and processed by trapped and enslaved workers.

As a result of the reports, more than 2,000 trapped fishermen have been rescued, more than a dozen alleged traffickers arrested and millions of dollars' worth of seafood and vessels seized.

In April, AP also identified and highlighted the legal loophole that allowed continued imports of slave-caught seafood; a month later, Obama promised to repeal the consumptive demand exception and ensured "swift, strong and effective enforcement."