The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) covering copper and copper products manufactured by Serbia Zijin Copper d.o.o. (Zijin Copper).
According to N1, this was announced in a statement published on the website of the US Customs and Border Protection agency. The decision takes immediate effect, and CBP officers will henceforth detain shipments of copper products at all US ports of entry due to suspicions that the goods were produced using forced labour.
“This WRO, the fourth issued in fiscal year 2026, was issued pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1307, which prohibits the importation into the United States of goods produced with forced labour. When CBP has evidence that imported goods are produced with forced labour, the agency detains those shipments through a WRO,” the statement said, as reported by N1.
Susan S. Thomas, Executive Assistant Commissioner of CBP’s Office of Trade, stated that American manufacturers face unfair competition when foreign companies reduce costs through the use of forced labour.
“By enforcing laws against forced labour, CBP protects both human rights and our country’s economic security,” she said.
“This order is the result of a CBP investigation and analysis of information indicating that Serbia Zijin produces copper and copper products using forced labour. CBP analysed the following evidence: worker testimonies, photographs, notes from field focus groups, screenshots of text messages, reports by non-governmental organisations, media reports, and academic research,” the statement explained.
US Customs and Border Protection officials pointed to circumstances that raise suspicions of forced labour (that is, work performed involuntarily under threat of punishment).
“Taken as a whole, the evidence shows that workers at Serbia Zijin are exposed to six indicators of forced labour identified by the International Labour Organization: abuse of vulnerability, withholding of wages, intimidation and threats, restriction of movement, retention of identity documents, and excessive overtime work,” the statement said.
In December 2025, US Customs and Border Protection also issued a Withhold Release Order against products manufactured by the Linglong tyre factory in Zrenjanin.
At the time, CBP officials stated that shipments of those tyres would be detained at all US ports due to evidence indicating the use of forced labour in their production.
(021.rs, 17.06.2026)