The report titled Redirected Risk: Uyghur Forced Labor and the Enforcement Gap in Australia and Japan was authored by UHRP Research Associate Elijah Pockell-Wilson.
It points to significant gaps in enforcement in both countries, contrasting their approaches with stricter measures being adopted in the US and the European Union (EU).
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Analysing trade data from 2024 and current supply chain policies, the study estimates that Australia imported around $4.82bn in goods from sectors considered to have high exposure to Uyghur forced labour.
In the same period, Japan’s imports from these sectors were approximately $6.71bn. Among the most affected sectors are cotton textiles and apparel, solar supply chain inputs, aluminium and chemicals.
The report concludes that while more stringent regulations in the US, such as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), and forthcoming measures in the EU are reducing entry points for such goods in those regions, countries with fewer import controls risk seeing these products rerouted to their markets.
Pockell-Wilson said: “Forced labour does not disappear when one market tries to close its doors. Without stronger import controls, Australia and Japan risk becoming destination markets for goods made with Uyghur forced labour that other countries are working to block.”
Currently, Australia relies mainly on the Modern Slavery Act and Japan on its human rights supply chain guidelines.
The report states that these measures stop short of requiring companies to provide evidence that goods are free from forced labour before importation. UHRP notes that, in both countries, enforcement tools remain limited even as international concern grows about state-imposed forced labour practices in East Turkistan.
UHRP executive director Omer Kanat added: “Governments cannot rely on voluntary corporate compliance to address a system of state-imposed forced labour. Australia and Japan have committed themselves to international human rights standards, but those commitments must be backed by enforceable laws. Without stronger action, goods linked to the repression of Uyghurs can continue to reach consumers through markets that lack meaningful safeguards.”
The UHRP report recommends that Australia and Japan introduce forced labour import bans similar to the UFLPA and establish mandatory evidence-based human rights due diligence requirements. It also urges improvements in customs enforcement powers, enhanced traceability throughout supply chains, and increased coordination with the US and EU.
In addition, the UHRP called on policymakers to include civil society organisations and affected communities in enforcement processes.
