Forced labor ban reversal scrutiny

United States — United States Customs and Border Protection faced scrutiny after the nonprofit Corporate Accountability Lab published a report on Tuesday warning that forced labor persists on sugarcane fields in the Dominican Republic. The agency had imposed an import ban on sugar and other products made by Central Romana Corporation in 2022, accusing the company of isolating workers, withholding wages, and fostering abusive conditions. The ban was lifted last year under the Trump administration, sparking outcry. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden sent a letter to the agency requesting information behind the reversal, accusing it of abandoning established procedures and undermining trade policy integrity. The agency acknowledged the request but had not commented.