US bans imports from Chinese fishing fleet over labour practices

Officials say this is the first US ban on imports from an entire fishing fleet, as opposed to individual vessels.

US Customs and Border Protection on Friday imposed a new import ban on seafood from a Chinese fishing fleet that the agency says is using forced labour on its 32 vessels, including abuses against many Indonesian workers. CBP said it will immediately detain tuna, swordfish and other products from the Dalian Ocean Fishing Co Ltd at United States ports of entry. The “withhold release order” banning the imports also applies to other end-use products containing seafood from the company, such as canned tuna and pet food, a CBP official said. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that the action marks the first time that CBP has banned imports from an entire fishing fleet, as opposed to individual vessels targeted in the past.