US bans BGI biotech products over forced labour allegations in Xinjiang

The US administration has moved to block imports of products manufactured by BGI Genomics and MGI Tech, citing labour rights violations in China's western Xinjiang region. The restriction marks an escalation in US scrutiny of Chinese biotech companies over their supply chain practices and workforce recruitment methods in areas where Uyghur communities are concentrated.

US officials have alleged that the companies engaged in forced labour practices involving ethnic minorities, including Uyghurs, in Xinjiang. The action reflects broader American concerns about human rights violations in the region, which have prompted similar restrictions on other Chinese companies and sectors in recent years.

BGI Group is one of China's leading biotechnology firms with significant global operations in genomic sequencing and diagnostics. The ban on its products represents a substantial commercial impact, given the company's extensive international client base across research institutions, hospitals and diagnostic laboratories.

The restrictions are part of a wider policy framework under which US authorities have implemented sanctions against entities accused of complicity in labour rights abuses in Xinjiang. Chinese officials have previously rejected allegations of forced labour, characterizing workplace practices in the region as part of vocational training and economic development initiatives.