US agency under scrutiny after watchdog warns of forced labor in Dominican Republic

U.S. Customs and Border Protection drew criticism after a watchdog organization raised concerns about forced labor in sugarcane fields in the Dominican Republic, a major exporter of sugar and related products to the United States. In 2022, the agency had banned imports from Central Romana Corporation, Ltd. due to allegations of worker isolation, wage withholding, and abusive living and working conditions.

However, the ban was lifted in the previous year under the Trump administration, leading to renewed criticism when a nonprofit named Corporate Accountability Lab released a report Tuesday highlighting ongoing forced labor issues. The report was the result of over three years of investigations. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, wrote to Customs and Border Protection on Thursday, requesting details on the decision to lift the ban and accusing the agency of bypassing established procedures in the process.

He emphasized that ignoring standard trade enforcement methods undermines the integrity of U.S. trade policies and called for administrative records and other relevant documents pertaining to the case.