Podcasts about uyghur forced labor prevention act

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2024 37:04

From Forced Labor to Forced Transparency: How AI is Revolutionizing Supply Chain Management. Ever feel like you're playing detective with your supply chain? Get ready for a mind-blowing chat about a tool that's changing the game! Context: In this episode, we dive into the future of global trade with Supply Trace - an innovative, open-access platform that's using AI to revolutionize supply chain transparency. Whether you're an international trade pro or just getting started, this conversation is packed with insights that can help you stay ahead of the curve. Main Topics: Democratizing access to supply chain data: "We're trying to democratize access to supply chain data. That's simply all it is, and it hasn't been done before." - Shawn Bhimani, Northeastern University Simplifying supply chain mapping: "Supply chain mapping can be done in a few clicks. It just takes a lot of computing power, but they can look at their entire supply chain in one glance and see the risk by region." Navigating forced labor risks: Supply Trace provides a "traffic light" system to quickly identify high-risk regions and suppliers, helping businesses stay compliant with regulations like the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Empowering businesses of all sizes: "This is for the majority of people who have just been locked out... a lot of trade people can get to their systems." Don't miss this episode if you want to turn supply chain mapping from a headache into a competitive advantage. With Supply Trace's free, user-friendly platform, you can unlock the power of AI-driven supply chain transparency and stay ahead of the curve in international trade. Enjoy the show! Sign up for the upcoming Forced Labor training (Supply Chain Tracing) here: https://globaltrainingcenter.com/forced-labor-supply-chain-tracing/ Host: Andy Shiles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyshiles/ Host/Producer: Lalo Solorzano: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lalosolorzano/ Co-Producer: Mara Marquez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mara-marquez-a00a111a8/ Show references: Shawn Bhimani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnbhimani/ Cindy DeLeon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindydeleon/ Global Training Center - www.GlobalTrainingCenter.com Simply Trade Podcast - twitter.com/SimplyTradePod Find us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimplyTradePod Contact SimplyTrade@GlobalTrainingCenter.com or message @SimplyTradePod for: Advertising and sponsoring on Simply Trade Requests to be on the show as guest Suggest any topics you would like to hear about Simply Trade is not a law firm or an advisor. The topics and discussions conducted by Simply Trade hosts and guests should not be considered and is not intended to substitute legal advice. You should seek appropriate counsel for your own situation. These conversations and information are directed towards listeners in the United States for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only and should not be In substitute for legal advice. No listener or viewer of this podcast should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this podcast without first seeking legal advice from counsel. Information on this podcast may not be up to date depending on the time of publishing and the time of viewership. The content of this posting is provided as is, no representations are made that the content is error free. The views expressed in or through this podcast are those are the individual speakers not those of their respective employers or Global Training Center as a whole. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the contents of this podcast are hereby expressly disclaimed.

Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act: Progress or Setback?

Dial P for Procurement

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2024 18:36

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, or UFLPA, took effect in June of 2022 to protect an ethnically Turkish, predominantly Muslim minority that lives in the Xinjiang autonomous region of China. The Uyghurs have been the subject of forced labor claims and investigations - truly the stuff of supply chain nightmares. If companies try to import anything connected to Xinjiang into the United States, they must prove conclusively that it did not involve forced labor. But what if the Uyghurs are moved out of Xinjiang? What does that do to enforcement of the law? In this episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barner looks into the simultaneously expanding and dissolving front line in the war against Uyghur forced labor: How worker relocation is making it harder for U.S. Customs to enforce the UFLPA Why the specifics of the law may have provided the blueprints for defying it What business leaders and supply chain decision makers will have to grapple with if they want to achieve the intended objectives of this law Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter Intent v. Effect of Uyghur Forced Labor Regulation Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

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Nationalistic ranting - 28 May 2024

Motoring Podcast - News Show

Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2024 40:24

FOLLOW UP: NHTSA INVESTIGATES MORE WAYMO INCIDENTSThe National Highways and Transport Safety Administration (NHTSA) are investigating further incidents involving Waymo vehicles. The nine extra are focused on stationary or semi-stationary items such as gates, chains and utility poles. If you wish to learn more, click on this TechCrunch link here. FOLLOW UP: CRUISE AGREE PAYOUT TO PEDESTRIAN VICTIM Cruise, the self-driving development company, has agreed to pay the victim of the road incident that involved her being dragged and severely injured by the car, between $8 and $12 million as compensation. Exact details have not been confirmed. Click this Market Watch article link for more. FOLLOW UP: CAR THING TO BE BRICKED BY SPOTIFYAfter the huge fuss made on its launch, by Spotify, the Car Thing will be bricked by the company as it moves on from it. This was a device you bought and had to subscribe to Spotify Premium, fitted to your car interior, to allow you to play some tunes and if you could see it enable Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In 2022 they confirmed they were stopping production, just a couple of months after it going on general sale. Click this Ars Technica article link here, to read more. UK APPROVES NEW SELF-DRIVING LEGISLATIONThe UK Government has gained the royal signature for the Automated Vehicles (AV) Act. This brings into law, for the first time, that car makers will be held responsible for their vehicles if it is being used in autonomous mode and not the driver. You can learn more on this, by clicking this AMOnline link here. BMW, MINI, VW AND JLR FITTED PARTS BANNED IN USAA US congressional investigation has discovered that BMW, Mini, Volkswagen Group and JLR sourced parts from Chinese suppliers that contravened the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, even after they were made aware. VW replaced the parts on the US dockside, before they were allowed to be handed to customers and dealers. To read more, click this article link to The Guardian. JLR TO ASSEMBLE CARS IN INDIAIn order to help with the increasing demand for their vehicles in Asia, JLR will be assembling Range Rovers and Range Rover Sports at the Tata Pune plant. Other models have been handled in this way since 2011. Click this article link from Autocar for more. ITALY IMPOUNDS FIAT TOPOLINOSFiat Topolinos, their version of the Citroën Ami, have been impounded in Italy after they were found to have the Italian flag on their wings and it was seen as suggesting that the car was made in Italy, rather than Morocco where it is actually made.

Spill the Tea: Automakers caught for non-complianceCarmakers are not self-policing well enough and still buying parts from a firm that uses forced labor. Congress passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act law in 2021 but thousands of BMW mini coopers

MONEY FM 89.3 - Prime Time with Howie Lim, Bernard Lim & Finance Presenter JP Ong

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2024 3:27

Carmakers are not self-policing well enough and still buying parts from a firm that uses forced labor. Congress passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act law in 2021 but thousands of BMW mini coopers were imported into the U.S. with components from the same firm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Two Minutes in Trade - The Focus on Forced Labor 26 New Companies Added to UFLPA Entity List

Corruption Crime & Compliance

Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2024 2:59

The Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force announced that it is adding 26 companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list, the largest ever one-time expansion of that list. For more information on this topic listen to today's Two Minutes in Trade.

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05/09/24 NEWS: Map Day: Middle East // US // UK // Belgium // Iceland // Brazil // Antigua // Good News

The Wright Report

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2024 27:08

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Today, Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, begins with a pivotal update on Donald Trump's legal saga. As courts delay his trials on various charges until after the November elections, we analyze what these developments signify for Trump's political future and the broader implications for the U.S. electoral landscape. Shifting the focus to global concerns, we explore the murky waters of the international cotton trade. Discover how modern forensic techniques are exposing the harsh reality of slave labor in the cotton industry, tracing the origins of cotton used in everyday products to forced labor camps in China. Despite the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, we uncover how systemic loopholes allow this injustice to persist, affecting global markets and ethical consumption. The episode takes a strategic turn to the Caribbean, where China's deepening influence in Antigua reveals a pattern of geopolitical maneuvering. Learn about China's investments in transforming local infrastructures and governance, extending Beijing's reach into the Western Hemisphere. We discuss the potential ramifications of this "soft power" strategy on regional stability and U.S. interests. Concluding on a groundbreaking note, we delve into the use of artificial intelligence in environmental science and wildlife research. A cutting-edge AI study has decoded complex communication patterns among Caribbean sperm whales, offering unprecedented insights into these creatures' cognitive worlds. This segment highlights the potential for AI to bridge human-animal communication barriers, promising a future where technology aids in a deeper understanding of our planet's wildlife. Tune into the Wright Report for a thought-provoking journey through legal intricacies and geopolitical chessboards, underscored by technological innovations that could reshape our interaction with the natural world.

Wang Yi in Munich, Democracy Index Rankings, and Forced Labor Backlash

China Insider

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2024 24:25

Shane Leary joins Miles Yu to discuss Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's statements during the 2024 Munich Security Conference, and the broader landscape of European Union–China relations. They then turn to the 2023 Democracy Index, which ranks China #148 globally and Taiwan #1 in Asia. Lastly, they discuss the thousands of German automobiles impounded by United States Customs and Border Protection under the 2021 Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, after their electrical components were found to be sourced from western China.

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Alex Cotoia on Compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2024 17:28

On December 31, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. signed the the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (“UFLPA”) into law to address the ongoing exploitation of the ethnic minority Uyghur population by the government of the People's Republic of China (“PRC”). Among other things, the UFLPA creates a rebuttable presumption that all goods, wares, articles, and merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in Xinjiang, or by entities designated for inclusion on the UFLPA Entity List, are prohibited from entry into the United States. To overcome the presumption, entities are required to demonstrate, by “clear and convincing evidence,” that such imports were not mined, produced, or manufactured in whole or in part by forced labor.In this episode, Mike and Alex discuss practical steps to comply with the UFLPA.The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, enacted by Congress, establishes a presumption that goods from Xinjiang are tied to forced labor. Importers must prove otherwise by providing extensive documentation, such as invoices, packing slips, and billing information, to demonstrate the origin of the goods and ensure compliance with the law.The UFLPA has led to a significant increase in enforcement by CBP, resulting in the detention of billions of dollars worth of commodities. This heightened scrutiny has prompted global companies to prioritize robust ethics and compliance programs to mitigate legal and economic risks associated with forced labor.Compliance with the UFLPA requires importers of record to furnish CBP with clear and convincing evidence that their goods were not produced using forced labor. This evidence includes supply chain tracing information, wage and payment records, credible audits, and attestations from every entity involved in the production process.Chinese entities have been known to employ deceptive practices to avoid detection and documentation requirements. This includes creating separate companies outside the Uyghur area and providing misleading information to purchasers. Due diligence and thorough investigation of beneficial ownership are crucial to ensure compliance.CBP's operational guidance for importers, published in 2022, provides essential information on navigating the complexities of the UFLPA. Importers should familiarize themselves with this guidance and engage in one-on-one discussions with their suppliers to communicate expectations and ensure compliance.The UFLPA places a significant burden on organizations relying on imports from China, as they must provide extensive documentation and meet the clear and convincing evidence standard. Failure to meet these requirements can result in the detention of goods, leading to supply chain disruptions and potential financial losses.Clear Channel, the former Chinese subsidiary of Clear Media, faced charges related to bribery violations. The bribes included expensive gifts, entertainment, and travel given to influence contract renewal negotiations with Chinese government officials. Clear Media engaged in deceptive practices, including falsifying payments and creating false invoices, to fund these illegal payments.ResourcesAlex Cotoia on LinkedIn | EmailMichael Volkov on LinkedIn | TwitterThe Volkov Law Group

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Wearing your values

Human Rights Foundation

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2024 34:07

Casey and Elisha sit down with HRF's Claudia Bennett, talking about the role of the fashion industry in propping up dictators. They discuss how the cotton industry relies on forced labor, and how consumers can find out where their clothes come from. They also talk about how the CCP targeted HRF's efforts to shine a light on Beijing's genocidal campaign against Uyghurs. SHOW NOTES: 1. Learn about our Wear Your Values program: https://hrf.org/programs/wear-your-values/ 2. Download our Uyghur Forced Labor checker: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/uyghur-forced-labor-check/ejodaepockllkcloibcchpjnfoopincp 3. Read this Bloomberg article about China's response to our checker: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-08-24/google-axes-bad-reviews-of-tracker-exposing-uyghur-forced-labor?srnd=premium&leadSource=uverify%20wall&mc_cid=0b6769941f&mc_eid=dcd85f94b2 4. Learn about the Coalition to End Forced Labor in The Uyghur Region: https://enduyghurforcedlabour.org 5. Learn about Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act: https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/sourcing/china-us-mexico-apparel-exports-uflpa-nearshoring-489814/ MORE ABOUT UYGHUR FORCED LABOR: 1. Jewher Ilham, Uyghur Advocate, Oslo Freedom Forum talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwUC1ocZme4 2. Kalbinur Sidik & Gulbahar Haitiwaji, Uyghur survivors, Oslo Freedom Forum talk: https://youtu.be/KFDMlCd_JvM ALSO MENTIONED: 1. Salma Al-Shehab, Dare to Dissent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2-0DXfCP80

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Supply Chain Superpowers through Federated Learning with Alan Bersin

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2024 41:02

In this episode of Simply Trade, Alan Bersin continues his discussion from Part 1 on the evolution of supply chain security and trade compliance. Major topics covered include moving from federated search to federated learning, building supply chain visibility, engaging the C-suite, and strengthening partnerships between government and the private sector. Key Discussion Points: - Alan Bersin discussed the evolution from the federated search model used by CBP to the new paradigm of federated learning being developed by Altana. Federated learning allows risk signals to be shared without commingling private data. - An example was provided of how federated search could be used with a company like Nike to validate supply chain information on a shipment of branded goods. - The importance of supply chain visibility beyond the first tier of suppliers was highlighted, especially with regulations like the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. - Actions the private sector can take to engage C-suite executives on compliance transformation included assessing supply chain visibility and available technologies. - Companies should monitor indicators like increases in CBP inquiries (CF28s) and enforcement actions (CF29s) that may point to gaps requiring attention. - Geopolitical variables like US-China tensions and potential conflict over Taiwan could introduce major disruptions, emphasizing the need for agile, data-driven supply chain risk management. - Partnership between government and the private sector was stressed as critical to effectively address compliance challenges through a federated learning approach. Enjoy the show! Host: Andy Shiles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyshiles/ Host/Producer: Lalo Solorzano: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lalosolorzano/ Co-Producer: Mara Marquez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mara-marquez-a00a111a8/ Show references: Global Training Center - www.GlobalTrainingCenter.com Simply Trade Podcast - twitter.com/SimplyTradePod Alan Bersin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-bersin-315523177/ Altana AI - https://altana.ai/ Contact SimplyTrade@GlobalTrainingCenter.com or message @SimplyTradePod for: Advertising and sponsoring on Simply Trade Requests to be on the show as guest Suggest any topics you would like to hear about Simply Trade is not a law firm or an advisor. The topics and discussions conducted by Simply Trade hosts and guests should not be considered and is not intended to substitute legal advice. You should seek appropriate counsel for your own situation. These conversations and information are directed towards listeners in the United States for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only and should not be In substitute for legal advice. No listener or viewer of this podcast should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this podcast without first seeking legal advice from counsel. Information on this podcast may not be up to date depending on the time of publishing and the time of viewership. The content of this posting is provided as is, no representations are made that the content is error free. The views expressed in or through this podcast are those are the individual speakers not those of their respective employers or Global Training Center as a whole. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the contents of this podcast are hereby expressly disclaimed.

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[Forced Labor Series] Battling the Unseen Enemy: Confronting Forced Labor Across International Borders with Ana Hinojosa

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Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2023 49:31

Welcome to another episode of Simply Trade's Forced Labor series of shows. This week our special guest, Ana Hinojosa, discusses the critical topic of forced labor and its impact on global trade. The episode covers the recent implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in the US, alongside similar laws enacted in Canada and Mexico. Main Points The impact of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in the US Canada and Mexico's forced labor prevention laws Challenges in implementing forced labor legislation across borders The importance of protecting human rights in global trade Episode Discussion Overview The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in the US Ana highlights the recent implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in the US, which aims to prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labor. She touches on the background and objectives of the law, particularly in relation to its impact on products connected to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Forced Labor Laws in Canada and Mexico The conversation expands to cover forced labor laws in Canada and Mexico, both of which have enacted legislation to address this critical issue. Andy and Lalo discuss the challenges faced by both countries as they work towards implementing and enforcing their respective laws. Implementation Challenges Ana shares insights regarding potential hurdles that the US, Canada, and Mexico may face when enforcing their forced labor legislation, emphasizing the importance of government cooperation and cross-border collaboration. Human Rights and Global Trade As they delve into the broader implications of these new regulations, Andy, Lalo, and Ana stress the importance of protecting human rights across the global trade landscape. The conversation circles back to the need for further efforts by all parties to ensure the prevention of forced labor in global supply chains. Don't miss this insightful discussion, which offers a unique perspective on the critical issue of forced labor and its wide-ranging implications for those involved in international trade. Enjoy the show! Host: Andy Shiles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyshiles/ Host/Producer: Lalo Solorzano: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lalosolorzano/ Co-Producer: Mara Marquez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mara-marquez-a00a111a8/ References: Global Training Center - www.GlobalTrainingCenter.com Simply Trade Podcast - twitter.com/SimplyTradePod Ana Hinojosa - ana.hinojosa@abhglobalconsulting.com Ana Hinojosa - www.linkedin.com/in/ana-hinojosa-9a618913/ Contact SimplyTrade@GlobalTrainingCenter.com or message @SimplyTradePod for: Advertising and sponsoring on Simply Trade Requests to be on the show as guest Suggest any topics you would like to hear about Simply Trade is not a law firm or an advisor. The topics and discussions conducted by Simply Trade hosts and guests should not be considered and is not intended to substitute legal advice. You should seek appropriate counsel for your own situation. These conversations and information are directed towards listeners in the United States for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only and should not be In substitute for legal advice. No listener or viewer of this podcast should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this podcast without first seeking legal advice from counsel. Information on this podcast may not be up to date depending on the time of publishing and the time of viewership. The content of this posting is provided as is, no representations are made that the content is error free. The views expressed in or through this podcast are those are the individual speakers not those of their respective employers or Global Training Center as a whole. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the contents of this podcast are hereby expressly disclaimed.

[Forced Labor Series]: Battle Against Forced Labor with CBP's Director of Forced Labor Division Brian Hoxie

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Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2023 42:17

Get set for an intriguing journey as we launch our thought-provoking series on Forced Labor - set to captivate your Tuesdays for the following weeks! Each episode offers candid conversations with industry experts who bring to life different facets of the fight against Forced Labor. From unraveling complex issues to revealing key strategies, we've got it all covered! Join us on this enlightening journey and equip yourself with valuable insights to be compliant and meet Forced Labor trade regulations confidently. Let's conquer compliance together! Episode 1 Are you concerned about the implications of forced labor regulations and how they affect your business? The latest episode of the Simply Trade podcast sheds light on this critical topic, with insights straight from the government! Simply Trade, hosted by Andy and Lalo, welcomes a special guest - Brian Hoxie, the Director of Forced Labor Division at the CBP's Office of Trade. Main Points Brian Hoxie discusses the two paths CBP follows to enforce Section 1307 of the Trade Act 1930. Investigations to identify entities involved in forced labor overseas and issuing withhold release orders. Implementation and enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which prohibits the entry of goods made wholly or in part from the Xinjiang region of China. CBP's efforts include setting up a task force, collaborating with various stakeholders in trade and academia, and creating port policies and procedures. To help businesses comply with these laws, CBP provides guidance through their public website, operational guidance, importer guidance, and FAQs. Since the start of the implementation, CBP has had around 450 engagements with stakeholders. CBP works closely with other government agencies, including the Department of State, US Trade Representative, and DHS to ensure a whole-of-government approach. Importers are encouraged to report any suspicions about forced labor in their supply chain to CBP to help build strong cases and act accordingly. CBP appreciates companies taking proactive steps to avoid forced labor issues. The Simply Trade podcast episode offers valuable insights and information directly from Brian Hoxie, who works at the forefront of forced labor enforcement. Importers and compliance professionals can gain the knowledge they need to navigate these complex regulations, protect their businesses, and work towards a better future. Don't miss out on the in-depth conversation. Enjoy the show! Host: Andy Shiles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyshiles/ Host/Producer: Lalo Solorzano: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lalosolorzano/ Co-Producer: Mara Marquez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mara-marquez-a00a111a8/ Show references: Global Training Center - www.GlobalTrainingCenter.com Simply Trade Podcast - twitter.com/SimplyTradePod Contact SimplyTrade@GlobalTrainingCenter.com or message @SimplyTradePod for: Advertising and sponsoring on Simply Trade Requests to be on the show as guest Suggest any topics you would like to hear about Simply Trade is not a law firm or an advisor. The topics and discussions conducted by Simply Trade hosts and guests should not be considered and is not intended to substitute legal advice. You should seek appropriate counsel for your own situation. These conversations and information are directed towards listeners in the United States for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only and should not be In substitute for legal advice. No listener or viewer of this podcast should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this podcast without first seeking legal advice from counsel. Information on this podcast may not be up to date depending on the time of publishing and the time of viewership. The content of this posting is provided as is, no representations are made that the content is error free. The views expressed in or through this podcast are those are the individual speakers not those of their respective employers or Global Training Center as a whole. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the contents of this podcast are hereby expressly disclaimed.

Ep. 224: Unraveling ESG: Understanding Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors in Business – Part 1

Count Me In®

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2023 37:14

As highlighted in the recent COSO publication on Internal Controls over Sustainability Reporting, good governance and systems for sustainable business activities and ESG reporting require attention to potential risks around fraud and greenwashing. Reflecting Grant Thornton's recent report on control activities related to these risks, join us as we take a dive deep into the world of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in business with our latest episode of the 'Count Me In' podcast. Hosted by a panel of experts, which includes Catie Serex, Douglas Hileman and Dan Mosher, our podcast uncovers the truth behind ESG, its importance in today's business world, the challenges it presents, and importantly, its potential role in fraudulent activities. Tune in for a fascinating conversation on ESG reporting, corporate purpose, sustainability, and the latest trends affecting investors, employees, and stakeholders alike. Don't miss this chance to stay informed and ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving world of business.Connect with our speakers:Catie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ctserex/ Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-mosher-8552519/Doug: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-hileman-fsa-crma-cpea-p-e-6abbb71/Download the reports mentioned into today's podcast:Achieving Effective Internal Control Over Sustainability ReportingManaging Fraud Risks in an Evolving ESG EnvironmentFull Episode Transcript:Adam: Hello, and welcome back to another enlightening episode of Count Me In. I'm your host, Adam Larson, and today we're diving deep into the complexities of Environmental, Social, and Governance, ESG, with a distinguished panel of experts. We're joined by Douglas Hileman, an experienced sustainability consultant, with over three decades of experience in environmental management systems, and internal controls. Alongside him, we have Dan Mosher, a seasoned professional who excels in helping businesses navigate the complexities of sustainability and environmental risks. Last but not least, we welcome Catie Serex. A leader in environmental, health, and safety, auditing and management who assists businesses in integrating sustainable and socially responsible practices. Today's discussion will delve into the importance of ESG, the challenges businesses face in managing ESG data, and the potential risk of fraud in ESG reporting. Here we go, let's listen in together. [00:01:00] < Music > Doug: And one of the things that we might kick off is with a very basic question of what is ESG? Dan, when people ask you this, how do you answer? Dan: Well, it really is a big umbrella, and I'll ask for some help from Catie in this regard. But ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. And, so, lots of things under that environmental area. Everything from waste management and air quality, climate change. From a social perspective, it could be your human capital management, health and safety matters. Governance, I think of anticorruption, data risks, and the like. So it really is a broad title when we say ESG. Catie, do you have some things you'd like to add to that comment? Catie: Yes, Dan, you definitely covered the gamut as far as some of the phrasings and the terminology, and really the topics that fall under that ESG umbrella. What I would want to add is that ESG is certainly one of the buzziest words in business today. But you might not know that ESG is, very simply, the newest iteration of concepts you've likely known for a long time. It's been previously known as corporate purpose, sustainability, even philanthropy. But what differentiates ESG from these previous versions is that it now represents the closest alignment, to date, of business operations, so think about your tangible assets. To those intangible elements of business that drive value. And, in this case, I'm referring to things like customer loyalty, labor environments, community engagement support. And because of this connection, ESG is moving from a nice-to-have to a need-to-have for companies, but also their investors, their customers, and other key stakeholders like their employees. Doug: I also think of ESG as a convenient taxonomy for all things non-financial. Many people have published those pillars or the word clouds that's in the ACFE report, and what topic goes where. For financial reporting, we know where sales goes and we know where EBITDA goes. We know where those are in a format and how to put the data and information together for clarity and reporting. For all things non-financial, it's just such a sprawling array of topics that ESG serves for one reason, in one way, as just simply a taxonomy. And there are some issues, such as climate change, like Dan mentioned, that really transcend more than one category, if you will. But for purposes of just where do you find it, and how do you manage it, and it can just serve as a taxonomy. Catie, to your point, on how to organize some processes, some controls, some recordings to understand what the organization is doing. Dan: And I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on the various channels in which this information is being put out there in the public. Catie, maybe you have some thoughts around the wide scope of that. Catie: Yes, so in terms of the reporting side of things and getting to the nuts and bolts of what, I'm sure our listeners are interested in, in terms of, what am I on the hook for? There are a lot of reporting frameworks out there that are guiding folks. And I know that that's been a point of confusion for people is understanding, there are all these different acronyms out there. That I can report to like SASB, or the Global Reporting Initiative, GRI, Task Force for Climate-Related Financial Disclosures or TCFD. There are a lot of frameworks out there, but the field is narrowing. So some of the communication that we've been seeing from these wider umbrella frameworks, are that they are working together to consolidate. To make things a little bit more straightforward, and to make things a little bit more uniform across the reporting landscape. But that's currently in progress, and this is just a result of this being not in nascent stages, but still in its growth period, and really honing down what are the things that shareholders, regulators, and such need to see when it comes to these ESG disclosures. Dan: And I know that Doug has been on the front line when things are misreported or omitted, and I'd love to hear some of his worst stories. Doug: Thank you, Dan. The question about reporting channels is a very good one, and Catie brought up several things that are happening in reporting to general capital markets. I also observe that there are other channels for reporting, including impact investors who may be interested in one particular topic. The general purpose capital reporting takes in one tranche, if you will, of topics that need to come external from an organization, a company. There are other investors who are interested, let's say, in human rights, or in product conformity, or in diversity, or in commitment to climate, and they want more information about those topics. So you may get information from investor groups or analyst groups, and that's a type of report. Another channel of reporting that I see is B2B reporting. The customers, and business partners, and banks, joint venture participants, are looking more into non-financial risk management. Non-financial performance and alignment, which is ESG. So before entering business relationships, and even during business relationships up and down the value chain, there's also ESG reporting that happens there. It is starting to align in some ways that they're asking questions about the same topics, but the questions themselves can be different. And, in many cases, the reporting, the demand for reporting has outpaced companies' abilities to report on the data and information. So that pull has created a bit of a vacuum. And many companies are scrambling to come up with processes, systems, and controls so they can generate the data and information that these stakeholders are expecting in terms of reporting. Catie: Doug, just to jump in there, from a client perspective, we are seeing that a lot of our clients are getting, especially, those B2B requests from either their suppliers or their downstream supply chain vendors. And the way that we're seeing that manifest is a lot of these larger companies are looking at their supply chain. If you think about greenhouse gas emissions, they're looking at their Scope 3 emissions, which is all value chain. And, so, they're sending requests to clients like ours that are asking, "What are your Scope 1 and 2 emissions? Because we need to report that." We are seeing clients feeling the pressure to respond to that, to continue to be part of those wider supply chains. And, so, they're coming to us asking for assistance in figuring out what those ESG metrics are and being able to respond in complete and accurate ways. So that they can continue to have those key customers that are asking for that information. Dan: Yes, and I'd like to pick up on that point, too, and Catie was just touching on it. I think some of the key challenges are, for businesses today, what is the providence of their ESG data? What is the confidence they have over the accuracy and completeness of it? And what is the integrity and quality of that data as it travels along its life cycle, from where it started to where it was reported? And has it maintained that integrity all along? Because bringing this back to our main topic of fraud, there are many pressures and incentives that might have someone misstate or omit information in their ESG reporting. Doug: I'd like to pick up on a topic that Catie discussed on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. It does, inherently, involve a complex web of data from different sources, including suppliers. And companies may be asked to produce or report the greenhouse gas emissions for themselves, as a company, on Scope 1 and Scope 2. I hope our listeners know what that means. Or on a part of Scope 3, or their carbon emissions as a company, or their carbon emissions in a particular country or state, or their carbon emissions for the products they manufacture for a certain customer. So those are different ways to slice and dice much of the same data. And it all goes back, I'll put in a plug here for the COSO report mapping the internal control framework to ESG. That can be applied to anything, any topic, any company, including, for example, greenhouse gas emissions. In terms of fraud, there can be a difference between just sloppy, or just unavailability of data and willful reporting of incorrect or misleading data. For example, to get preferred treatment at a customer, or to get preferred inclusion in an ESG index fund, or to get a reduction on interest rate from a line of credit, from a financial institution that's looking for green investments. So we're still seeing an increase in awareness of the fact where, "Well, we can just report this because nobody cares." Or, "Well, it's not regulatory, so we'll just let it go." And willful deceit in order to get a benefit at the expense of other competitors in these areas, which goes into the fraud bucket. That ACFE and Grant Thornton touched upon in that report. Dan: Yes, thank you, Doug. The report that Doug is referring to is a joint publication of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and Grant Thornton called Managing Fraud Risks in an Evolving ESG Environment. You can get it from our website and from the ACFE, and within that, we did develop an ESG fraud taxonomy. It encompasses both some of the traditional areas of fraud that have always been there. Corruption, asset misappropriation, and financial statement fraud. And there are certainly ways in which ESG fraud manifests itself under each of those headings. To that traditional fraud tree we have added an additional area of non-financial reporting fraud, which Doug was alluding to. And the things that might happen under there, there could be false labeling or advertising. Think of things like declarations of saying that it's "Dolphin-free tuna" that has certainly been an area of litigation in the past. I'm thinking about false disclosures or representations, and that might be along the B2B relationships. Where you are omitting information or misstating information to a company that you are a supplier to. Lots of ways that things can be contorted, and misrepresented, and misstated, omitted, and if it is done intentionally, then we're going to consider it fraud. Doug: Dan, I can't say enough good things about the report that came out and, certainly, my hat is off to you, and Catie, and everybody who contributed to that. I know that was a massive effort. What I think is so elegant about that report is that many of our listeners struggle with how to get their arms around ESG, this sprawling issue is so new, it's so different. The report begins with a construct that's familiar to everybody who deals with fraud, that famous ACFE fraud tree. And the report adds a leaf, if you will, if you look at that tree at the bottom row, that provides an ESG example for the fraud tree as everybody knows it. And then it was very elegant how you added that branch, if you will, for the ESG, the non-financial reporting with nine different twigs to describe a taxonomy there, and then the leaves with the examples, it was really well done. So anybody familiar with fraud and the fraud tree. Anybody who has been involved in developing procedures to prevent fraud or to detect fraud on the audit side, you can just use that reference document and get pretty close to how you think about ESG fraud to prevent it and detect it. Another thing I would observe that the human rights, no product was made with child labor. Non-financial reporting and compliance exists in a lot of places out there, and it can be possible, it can be easy for stakeholders to compare information that arises from different reporting channels for consistency. For example, Dan mentioned one of the claims could be, "None of our products use forced labor". In the U.S. there's a law called the The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. That has the rebuttable presumption that products made from a certain area, in China, if you cannot prove that those products were made absent forced labor, the assumption is that they were made with forced labor. And the Customs and Border Protection is seizing products at the docks before they come into the country, and waiting on companies to provide evidence that the products are forced-labor-free. So if you have claims on your website, or on products, or in contract documents that they're forced labor free, and the Customs and Border Protection is reporting that your goods are being held and not allowed into the country. There is an inconsistency there that can be embarrassing, at a minimum, to companies. And it can cost the company sales, customers, and reputational damage if it turns out that those claims cannot be supported. Dan: Yes, so just picking up on what Doug was talking with The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, this is a big stick for the government in they have a presumption of guilt, so to say. That if they suspect that a good has any raw material or input within it because it is in whole or in part of your good that's being imported, is suspected of having forced labor in it, and that means every tier of your supply chain down to the raw material or seed, if it's an agricultural product. If there is a suspicion that it is tainted by forced labor, it will not be allowed into the country unless you can prove otherwise. And, I think, it's going to become, increasingly, challenging for companies to know their supply chain inside and out. And from a fraud perspective, whether any part of that supply chain is deceiving the rest of the supply chain on whether or not it's tainted by forced labor. I was just reading over the holidays, there is a tremendous report that came out from Sheffield Hallam University, in the UK, around the various risks in the auto industry for being tainted by forced labor in the production of raw materials. it's really a very difficult area, and it is something that our clients are coming to us, asking for help around. Dan: Catie, do you have some other thoughts around the regulatory environment in which this is probably just one small piece? Catie: Yes, Dan and Doug, you both brought up a great point of there are current existing regulations that apply to certain areas of ESG. But what we're seeing is a global movement towards more overarching regulations across different jurisdictions. So, for instance, last year, the European Union approved the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive Regulation, also called CSRD, and that sets reporting standards for entities that meet certain EU reporting thresholds. In the UK, there IS BEIS, which is focused on climate-related disclosures for entities that operate in the UK. And then, of course, for our U.S. listeners, I'm sure you all have heard about the coming SEC final rule when it comes to climate disclosures. We anticipate that being finalized as early as April of this year. But all that to say that the regulatory environment, itself, from an ESG perspective, there is a growing recognition that there needs to be standards that companies adhere to. So that there is comparability across the landscape when it comes to ESG data. Because it is hard for whoever is looking at this data to discern what certain data points may mean because they may be defined differently. So these standards are helping to create an environment that is more accountable and more comparable which, hopefully, will help clarify some things and clarify the way that you go about reporting. That said, even though some of those regulations are very early stage or haven't been released, yet, there are already consequences for misreporting. So we saw last year, or in the past couple of years, that Goldman Sachs was fined $4 million and BNY Mellon was fined $1.5 million for what were considering material misstatements. And in the future, we see that more frequent consequences could be around the corner. But I can't speak to what that looks like just, yet. Dan, do you have any experience, or Doug, in terms of any additional consequences that you're seeing for misreporting of ESG data? Dan: Yes, well, for me, as you said, there are consequences from misstating, publicly, the information. There are just a ton of business consequences of misstating the information. So, for example, I myself was involved in an investigation in which there was a licensor of images for the front of T-shirts and the like. There was a requirement that none of the production would take place in Bangladesh after the tragedy in 2013, in which a building collapsed, killing more than 1000 apparel workers. And, so, there was a requirement that no production take place in Bangladesh, and there was wide-scale deception on that point. Such that there was a lot of production going on in Bangladesh, but it was being misreported to the licensor as being produced in India or in other jurisdictions throughout Asia. That finding, in the investigation that we carried out, was the subject of whether or not a billion-dollar license would go forward or not. Doug: I can see several potential risks or consequences for misreporting or misleading content and reporting, and they vary according to the reporting channel. For example, there is ESG content in financial statements, in income statements and balance sheets. There are reserve estimates for contingent environmental liabilities. Something that's a little newer is asset values for Emission Reduction Credits or expected costs in the future for Emission Reduction Credits, if that's part of a company's strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Those have a vintage and the value depends on the vintage. If those are, knowingly, misstated, you're subject to all the things that come with that in financial reporting, disclosure controls, and procedures, and the like. For misrepresentation and misreporting in the Form 10-K, the analysts and the investors are using this to make investment decisions. There are shareholders who are quite happy to file proxy filings or to file suit by claiming to be misled for the content in there. Some of those are starting to see the light of day or to get quietly settled. There was an instance of a major European bank, an employee blowing a whistle, publicly, saying that their screening process for companies to include in an ESG index fund was just not very good or, maybe, a sham. So there's the reputational damage that can be a hit to a company and the market cap for many companies, the reputation, the intangible value, exceeds the value of PP and E - Plant Property and Equipment. So intangible value and brand value is something to watch out for too and that can take a hit, with misrepresentation or loss of reputation in ESG and non-financial matters. Catie: And, Doug, just to piggyback on that point, there's the financial disclosure side of that, but there's also, as we talked about, the intangible side of that. So customers are increasingly wanting to purchase sustainably made goods, and engage with companies that align with their own personal moral values and beliefs. And, so, when they learn that whether it's a good that's claiming to be sustainably made is actually unsustainable, you could lose members of your customer base. At times it inspires boycotts and protests and, especially, in the age of digital media, just imagine someone telling their community about their experience, and that going on Twitter, or TikTok, or something of that nature. Those are some of the risks that we're seeing from not a regulatory penalty approach. But also there are consequences when it comes to your customer base, the value of your brand, and your brand reputation. Doug: We've discussed a lot of different data, a lot of different stakeholders, a lot of different needs. So how do companies manage this kind of reporting. When everybody wants something different. There are different ways to slice and dice. How does a company get their arms around this and make sure that it's right? Catie: Yes, that's a great question, Doug. So as I said before, there are a lot of different frameworks out there. But they are working to consolidate the frameworks and to consolidate the data expectations of those frameworks. From what I'm seeing, it appears that SASB, GRI, and TCFD, all of which I previously mentioned, are emerging as the big three of ESG data disclosure frameworks. And it's important that our listeners understand that while these frameworks are not required for disclosure, they can help guide your reporting. And, ultimately, they can help your company be more aware of any potential fraud risks and avoid being susceptible to associated fraud with those activities and reporting. Of course, the frameworks, themselves, are not mandatory for disclosure. They are, as I said, guidelines and we talked, previously, about the different regulations that are emerging. I think the thing that's important to know here is that some of these frameworks are being utilized to inform those regulations. So we know that the SEC climate disclosure draws heavily from TCFD reporting framework. And, so, some of our clients are asking us to conduct TCFD reporting gap analysis to help them prepare for those upcoming SEC-required disclosures. We have clients who are asking us to do assurance readiness services because they know that they will fall in that year one reporting group, the large accelerated filers for the SEC. And, so, having us test their existing processes, internal controls, things of that nature, and validate that their data is complete and accurate is something that they're doing to prepare for the upcoming regulatory framework. So the way to think about those frameworks is that it's a helpful way for you to organize your disclosures in anticipation of future reporting requirements. Dan, do you have any thoughts from the fraud risk perspective of how those frameworks can usually help you. In terms of guarding against any potential misreporting or intentional or unintentional? Dan: Yes, so when I think about this, I usually do go back to the ACFE's Fraud Triangle, thinking about incentives and pressures, the opportunities for fraud, and the rationalizations one might apply to committing those frauds. So when I think about reporting what is the role of that report? Is it going to a regulator? Is it going into a corporate social responsibility or a marketing publication? All of those bear different kinds of risks. So in terms of on this reporting topic, that people and companies should be thinking about taking an inventory of all the ways in which that ESG information is going out to the public, across those different channels. And ensuring that as they're building up their capabilities and infrastructure to maintain good data quality, that it is also ensuring consistency across all of those reporting channels. What I anticipate, and I think we're starting to see it, is that there will be cases where the same information is reported in one channel, but is inconsistent with how it was reported in another channel, and that will be held against the company. You should not be finding yourself saying one thing to the government and something else in a publication. Doug: Dan, I absolutely agree with that. I would say to this question, it comes back to a familiar trilogy that we hear as the answer to so many questions, and that is people, process, and technology. And I'll start at the end and work my way back, there are many vendors offering technology fixes and even companies, in-house, building technology fixes to gather and report data. But the data and the information is only as good as the process it took to come up with the data. You can automate the wrong process and just get the wrong answer faster. So you back up to the process and say, "Well, since this non-financial information originates in so many parts of the company, and even from other companies, suppliers, customers, business partners, and the like. What is the process to get them?" There are also challenges I see on reporting periods. Governments, like EPA, may have an annual reporting process. There are companies with a non-calendar fiscal year, who need to report some of this on a fiscal year basis. So where are the reporting periods? What is the process to collect information and report to a state agency, to a stakeholder, to a customer? So those processes need to be nailed down, and that's where that wonderful COSO internal controls framework comes in. Just follow that and apply it as it's appropriate. And because that data and information comes from so many different sources, I encourage people to have the right people involved. If companies establish a cross-functional team and get folks from all the places who provide this information. Real estate, operations, safety, procurement, R&D if they understand their roles and responsibilities in collecting this information to enable the kind of reporting that Catie has mentioned and others, then that goes a long way to making the process more effective and more efficient. Dan: Yes, and I would like to add on to what Doug was saying. That in terms of the fact that this information is coming from different parts of organizations, that haven't necessarily undergone third-party assurance procedures. That this is a transition period here where, I think, a broader spectrum of people, within an organization, are going to be changing their mindset around the accuracy and completeness of the data because they know that they are subject to that third-party assurance. Catie: And, Doug, you had mentioned, I think, very rightly, that having the right team in place is critical to being able to have the right processes and technology also in place, to ensure that your reporting is complete and accurate. And we're seeing on the client side that a lot of our clients don't, necessarily, have the resources in place to start to organize that. So I wanted to ask, in your opinion, and Dan, feel free to jump in. How important is it to not just assign one person to do all of your ESG reporting? But how important is it to have that cross-functional team approach to these non-financial disclosures? Doug: I think it is absolutely essential. One structure that I see work a lot is to have a steering committee. To set strategy and to be plugged into those reporting frameworks that you've mentioned, Catie, and some of the customer demands and organizational strategy and where things are going. And a more tactical working group that's closer to operations, and the systems, and controls to really modify those systems and controls and talk to each other. A couple of things I've seen work really well. I've seen those committees be assembled, and people show up, and they don't know why they're in the room. And it really helps to have a coach or an external resource to help facilitate all that. To make sure that people are talking the right language and not talking past each other. So you get everybody on the same page to take actions in ways that are aligned with the company objectives, that helps a lot. A couple of functions that I don't see on those teams but, I think, should be there a lot more than they are IT, for sure. And many of our listeners are from accounting, I would say accounting. I don't see on those cross-functional teams as much as I think they should be. Much of what is required for the sustainability reporting, it comes from accounting. You get utility bills from accounting. Get a list of assets from accounting. Get a list of our ten largest customers from accounting. Accounting has the master key to a lot of this information. But the information that's in company systems, in my experience, was not designed for the way the information needs to be reclaimed and used now. So there are some changes that need to be made in accounting to enable this reporting and to enable the systems and controls. To, then, ensure accurate reporting, verifiable reporting, and the fact that we tighten down the controls so that we can prevent the possibility of fraud. Dan: Yes, great points, Doug. I really appreciate you bringing up the steering committee. Someone at the top of an organization that is there to set strategy. And I think that it is common, and it will become more commonplace, to have that steering committee require that any fraud risk assessments, that are being done within an organization, include ESG fraud as part of what they're doing. And in conducting a fraud risk assessment that is a stress test, that's looking for ways in which various kinds of scenarios. Such as the scenarios we brought up in our report with the ACFE, of ways in which ESG fraud could be committed. And then looking at whether the controls in place within the organization, are sufficient to prevent and detect or detect those occurrences. So, Doug, I know that you've been contributing to an exciting report, that's been recently released from the IMA. Could you give us a few highlights in that regard? Doug: Sure, I'd be happy to. I was one of the primary authors of this document, the only non-CPA on the team. I provided the ESG specialist input for this very important report. It's a COSO report and IMA is, of course, a member of COSO and their leadership had a terrific role in pulling this together. And it will resemble a lot kind of the report you've had major involvement with from the ACFE, on fraud, ESG fraud. In that it begins with a framework that everybody knows and is very familiar with, the COSO Internal Controls Framework, and there's something old and something new. There is a summary of some of the key points of the COSO Internal Controls Framework, the components, and the points of focus. And on each of the components there's some information demonstrating how the internal controls framework can be applied to ESG. So that in terms of non-financial management of information, and of reporting, and of communications, and of control environment. It can be applied and it points you in the right direction on how it can be adopted to improve the effectiveness, and the efficiency of company organization, management, and reporting. I encourage everyone to read it and use it. [00:36:50] < Outro > Announcer: This has been Count Me In, IMA's podcast. Providing you with the latest perspectives of thought leaders from the accounting and finance profession. If you like what you heard and you'd like to be counted in for more relevant accounting and finance education, visit IMA's website at www.imanet.org.

Xu Chen: Senior Director for Power, Renewables, and Energy Transition at FTI Consulting

The Power Hungry Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2023 65:27 Transcription Available

Xu Chen has spent 15 years in the solar sector, including a stint at GCL, a major producer of polysilicon. In this episode, Chen explains why costs for solar projects are increasing (up 8.5% in the first quarter alone), how enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and tariffs are impacting supply chains and prices, the increasing efficiency of solar panels, and why pairing solar with batteries could ease congestion challenges on the electric grid. (Recorded April 19, 2023.)

Lindsay Bernsen Wardlaw on Trade Compliance: It’s Both Who You Sell to and Who You Buy From [Podcast]

Compliance Perspectives

Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2023 12:32

By Adam Turteltaub With the proliferation of sanctions in the wake of the war in Ukraine and more focus on responsible sourcing, trade compliance has grown exponentially in complexity. It has also become less of a compliance silo and become more integrated with other compliance efforts. To understand the state of trade compliance we sat down with Lindsay Bernsen Wardlaw (LinkedIn), Director, Trade Advisory Services, Amalie Trade Compliance, who outlined the four areas of trade compliance: sanctions, export controls, antiboycott and customs. Each has great complexity, and there's much more than Russian sanctions to worry about. Restrictions on importing goods manufactured by forced labor have increased dramatically with the passage of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act that presumes good sourced from the Xinjiang region of China were made with forced labor. The law has real teeth, she explains. Of the approximately 3,000 shipments stopped under the law, none have been released because they were able to prove that the shipments weren't made with forced labor; some have been released because they were able to prove they weren't from the restricted region. So what should organizations be doing? First, take the time to understand your risks, including the primary inputs for your products and who your suppliers and customers are, including agents and channel partners. Understand, too, where the goods are being made, sold to and for whom. Have a restricted party screening process in place and an import/export classification strategy. Also, be sure to have a transaction review team in place for any deals that may be sensitive. She also recommends creating a crisis task force for when things go wrong, as they may. It will likely include the trade compliance, supply and procurement teams. Other potential members include IT, engineering, product management, and even communications. Listen in to learn more about what you need to do to ensure compliance in this ever-more complex risk area.

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CBP puts forced labor statistics online for everyone to see.

Federal Drive with Tom Temin

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2023 19:21

Among the uglier mass human-rights violations going on in the world today, is forced labor imposed on the Uyghur minority by China. Congress, in the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, gave U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) the job of gathering and publicizing where this forced labor exists in the worldwide industrial supply chains. To find out where the agency is in addressing the issue, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Eric Choy, the Executive Director for Trade Remedy Law Enforcement in CBP's Office of Trade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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CBP puts forced labor statistics online for everyone to see.

Federal Drive with Tom Temin

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2023 19:21

Among the uglier mass human-rights violations going on in the world today, is forced labor imposed on the Uyghur minority by China. Congress, in the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, gave U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) the job of gathering and publicizing where this forced labor exists in the worldwide industrial supply chains. To find out where the agency is in addressing the issue, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Eric Choy, the Executive Director for Trade Remedy Law Enforcement in CBP's Office of Trade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Forced Labor, Supply Strain

Double Take By Mellon

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2023 25:33

How is the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act disrupting US supply chains? We discuss with David Stepp, an experienced trade lawyer and partner at Crowell & Moring.

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Blackpool Trams - 14 February 2023

Motoring Podcast - News Show

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2023 45:26

FOLLOW UP: SOUTH KOREA FINES GERMAN COMPANIES FOR COLLUSIONSouth Korea has fined Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi for colluding over emission technology, to ensure no one produced better technology. The fine is €31.18 million combined, which is 42.3 billion won. The EU, following Mercedes informing them, fined BMW and VW Group in July 2021 for this issue. Click this EuroWeekly article link to find out more. NISSAN WARNS OF SUNDERLAND'S FUTURE Nissan has explained that unless the UK Government aids in reducing energy prices and helps to create a local functioning supply chain the future of the Sunderland plant is in doubt. Currently Sunderland is more expensive to make cars than their continental European plants. To learn more, click this Sunday Times Driving article link. LUCID MOTORS NEW MD IS EX-JLR SVO BOSSFollowing the surprise exit from Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicles Operation, Michael van der Sande has been announced at the Managing Director of Lucid Motors. The US EV company has started to sell their cars in parts of Europe as they slowly expand. You can learn more by clicking this link to the Automotive Daily article. LOTUS TECHNOLOGY TO MERGE WITH SPAC Geely is going to raise funds for Lotus by merging Lotus Technology, the non sports car division, with a special acquisition company (SPAC) that means it will be listed on the New York stock exchange. The expectation is that it will raise around $5.4 billion. Click this Automotive Daily article link, to learn more. BOLLINGER SUES MUNRO OVER PATENT INFRINGEMENTBollinger is suing Munro All Terrain Electric Vehicles for infringing their patents. The US company claims a consultant has also passed on confidential documents that have helped Munro produce their 4x4 EV. You can learn more by clicking this link to a Newsweek article. US CHECKING CHINESE IMPORTS OVER FORCED LABOURUS Customs is checking incoming freight from China for any links to forced labour production, thanks to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Already aluminium imports have been slowed as inspections are taking place, which could well affect the car industry. Click here to learn more from the Maersk Advisory Note. BATH CONSIDERING PARKING PRICE RISESBath Council is considering increasing pay and display parking fees, once again, especially for vehicles that emit more emissions. The correct fee would be charged after entering registration data with the ticket machine. Click here for more on this matter, thanks to a BBC News article. Bath are also investigating if charging drivers to enter the city centre is a way in which they can help pay for the increased costs of installing the ‘ring of steel' terrorism protection system. Click

China Redux: What Could Be Lurking in the Supply Chain? | EMBARGOED! Episode 56

EMBARGOED!

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2022 54:43

In this episode, Tim is joined by Kate Yin (Fangda Partners) and Miller & Chevalier's Richard Mojica and Virginia Newman to discuss due diligence and other issues arising from the newly implemented Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. The group walks through the basics of the UFLPA, the challenges it creates for U.S. importers, the industries it targets for enforcement, and the rebuttable presumption for items traced to Xinjiang province. The group then turns to identify concrete steps companies are taking to comply with the UFLPA, including how companies are conducting necessary due diligence while at the same time navigating challenges posed by Chinese Anti-Foreign Sanctions law. ******* Thanks to our guests for joining us: Kate Yin: https://www.fangdalaw.com/people/kate-yin/ Richard Mojica: https://www.millerchevalier.com/professional/richard-mojica Virginia Newman: https://www.millerchevalier.com/professional/virginia-s-newman Questions? Contact us at podcasts@milchev.com. EMBARGOED! is not intended and cannot be relied on as legal advice; the content only reflects the thoughts and opinions of its hosts. EMBARGOED! is intelligent talk about sanctions, export controls, and all things international trade for trade nerds and normal human beings alike. Each episode will feature deep thoughts and hot takes about the latest headline-grabbing developments in this area of the law, as well as some below-the-radar items to keep an eye on. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for new bi-weekly episodes so you don't miss out!

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S8E11 | Geopolitics are impacting workplace ethics and compliance programs

Principled

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2022 41:23

As the world emerges from a pandemic mindset, we find ourselves confronting new geopolitical realities with Putin's war in the Ukraine as well as increasingly fraught relations between the US and China. How is this geopolitical landscape changing the compliance landscape? In this episode of the Principled Podcast, host Susan Divers is joined by Tom Fox, the founder of the Compliance Podcast Network and aptly accredited “Voice of Compliance.” Listen in as the two discuss the impact of geopolitics on ethics and compliance, and what issues should be top-of-mind for E&C leaders in the near future. To learn more, download a copy of Tom Fox's white paper Never the Same: Five Key Areas in Which Business Will Never Be the Same After the Russian Invasion. Featured guest: Tom Fox Tom Fox is literally the guy who wrote the book on compliance with the international compliance best-seller The Compliance Handbook, 3rd edition, which was released by LexisNexis in May 2022. Tom has authored 23 other books on business leadership, compliance and ethics, and corporate governance, including the international best-sellers Lessons Learned on Compliance and Ethics and Best Practices Under the FCPA and Bribery Act, as well as his award-winning series "Fox on Compliance." Tom leads the social media discussion on compliance with his award-winning blog, and is the Voice of Compliance, having founded the award-winning Compliance Podcast Network and hosting or producing multiple award-winning podcasts. He is an executive leader at the C-Suite Network, the world's most trusted network of C-Suite leaders. He can be reached at tfox@tfoxlaw.com. Featured host: Susan Divers Susan Divers is the director of thought leadership and best practices with LRN Corporation. She brings 30+ years' accomplishments and experience in the ethics and compliance arena to LRN clients and colleagues. This expertise includes building state-of-the-art compliance programs infused with values, designing user-friendly means of engaging and informing employees, fostering an embedded culture of compliance, and sharing substantial subject matter expertise in anti-corruption, export controls, sanctions, and other key areas of compliance. Prior to joining LRN, Mrs. Divers served as AECOM's Assistant General for Global Ethics & Compliance and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer. Under her leadership, AECOM's ethics and compliance program garnered six external awards in recognition of its effectiveness and Mrs. Divers' thought leadership in the ethics field. In 2011, Mrs. Divers received the AECOM CEO Award of Excellence, which recognized her work in advancing the company's ethics and compliance program. Before joining AECOM, she worked at SAIC and Lockheed Martin in the international compliance area. Prior to that, she was a partner with the DC office of Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal. She also spent four years in London and is qualified as a Solicitor to the High Court of England and Wales, practicing in the international arena with the law firms of Theodore Goddard & Co. and Herbert Smith & Co. She also served as an attorney in the Office of the Legal Advisor at the Department of State and was a member of the U.S. delegation to the UN working on the first anti-corruption multilateral treaty initiative. Mrs. Divers is a member of the DC Bar and a graduate of Trinity College, Washington D.C. and of the National Law Center of George Washington University. In 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Ethisphere Magazine listed her as one the “Attorneys Who Matter” in the ethics & compliance area. She is a member of the Advisory Boards of the Rutgers University Center for Ethical Behavior and served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Institute for Practical Training from 2005-2008. She resides in Northern Virginia and is a frequent speaker, writer and commentator on ethics and compliance topics. Principled Podcast Transcript Intro: Welcome to the Principled Podcast, brought to you by LRN. The Principled Podcast brings together the collective wisdom on ethics, business and compliance, transformative stories of leadership and inspiring workplace culture. Listen in to discover valuable strategies from our community of business leaders and workplace change makers. Susan Divers: General Pete Schoomaker made a remark some years ago that's always stayed with me. He said, "People like to think that life is an opera that unfolds over several acts, but it's really a rodeo. You never know what's coming out of the shoot." So much of the ethics and compliance sphere clearly demonstrates the truth of the general's remarks, especially recently. LRN's last two program effectiveness reports focused specifically on the impact of the pandemic on ENC programs. Now we have the war with Russia in the Ukraine and increasingly fraught relationships with China. How is the geopolitical landscape changing the compliance landscape? Hello and welcome to another episode of LRN's Principled Podcast. I'm your host, Susan Divers, director of thought leadership and best practices at LRN. Today, I'm joined by Tom Fox, the founder of the Compliance Podcast Network and aptly accredited Voice of Compliance. In addition to his 30 plus years of legal experience, Tom is the author of the award-winning FCPA Compliance and Ethics blog, and The Complete Compliance Handbook now in its third edition, which is by far the best source for best practices in one place about ENC programs. We're going to be talking about the impact of geopolitics on ethics and compliance and what issues should be top of mind for ENC leaders in the near future. Tom, welcome. Tom Fox: Susan, thanks. I have wanted to be on this podcast for a long time. I particularly enjoyed your reference about rodeos because in the great state of Texas, that's a college sport, rodeoing, so lots of rodeos and it's certainly an apt metaphor for what we're going to talk about today. Susan Divers: Well, great, Tom and I really appreciate the opportunity to have any conversation with you, but particularly on the podcast. So Tom, first, generally, how do you see the ongoing war in the Ukraine as disrupting trade and the rules, both formal and informal, that have governed the world for the last 20 years and is the World Economic Forum vision of trade now dead? Tom Fox: Susan, in addition to the rodeo metaphor you gave us, the most prescient comment I heard during the COVID-19 pandemic is that we've moved from disaster recovery to business interruption to, excuse me, to business resiliency, to business as usual. Literally now, we can have a weather event, we can have an economic event, we can have a geopolitical event, we can have any event and the requirement of a company is how do you respond? How do you respond tomorrow? Have you planned for this? I think the type of thing that we saw with the Russian invasion, as tragic as that was, it's one more, it's just an event and we're going to talk about that in some detail. But every company has legal, ethical and business obligations around that event. I was also particularly struck by your reference to the World Economic Forum, and when I read that, it put a frown on my face. And it put a frown on my face because the World Economic Forum, in my mind, has been one of the biggest leaders for the global economy. Since at least 1990 when I started paying attention to a global economic framework because I was in the energy industry and began to think about these issues on a global basis, the World Economic Forum and their symposiums, their position papers and really their raison d'etre was to talk about a global economy. Although I certainly thought we would have regional conflicts, as we have always had, I never thought we would, I guess my hope was that the global economy would help drive us towards a more integrated global community and that we wouldn't be put near a brink again of a global conflict. I don't pretend to say that's where we're going in Ukraine, but when you start talking about tactical nuclear weapons, that's a conversation we haven't had in this country since the '60s with seriousness. The World Economic Forum, the world they envision, the world you and I grew up in professionally, I think that world is gone. We're moving to something else. I use the Russian invasion of Ukraine really as an ending point or an exclamation mark on trends that we have seen percolating probably 10, 5, 3 years that accelerated extraordinarily greatly in the COVID-19 pandemic up to the war in Ukraine and the disruption that that has caused really impacts businesses, and this is going to be something, I think, we're going to have to deal with literally on an ongoing basis forward. Lots, really, to unpack there, but I do have to acknowledge you for pointing out it was really the World Economic Forum that has led, I thought, the charge for a global economy and globalization and unfortunately, I think that world is now dead. Susan Divers: I hear you and I feel the same way about the Forum. LRN participated in it quite actively until fairly recently, and the Forum really did an excellent job of helping global leaders cooperate, frame some of the rules and the practices. Maybe when the current situation resolves itself one way or another, there'll be an opportunity to do that again. But getting a little bit more granular at this point. You've written about the impact of the Ukrainian war on the supply chain and certainly for business that's one area where the rubber really hits the road. Can you explain that a bit to our listeners? Tom Fox: Sure. The Ukraine War, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as I said, put a exclamation point on this. One of the key disruptions from COVID-19 was indeed supply chain. Here, I think for the first time, Susan, we started to look at geography as a risk. Geopolitical risk has been known for quite some time, but with the COVID-19, we have the swaths of the world that were unavailable to us because of the pandemic. As the pandemic raged through China and moved to India and moved to Africa, large parts of the global supply chain were literally shut down completely and they couldn't get back up, couldn't get running again. We saw, from COVID-19, a geographic risk that we have perhaps not considered as much before. This is different than an island that may worry about climate risk or flooding or fires in California or something like that. We had real geographic risk. The Ukraine War really put an exclamation mark on geopolitical risk. What is the risk? What was the risk in 2019 of Russia invading Ukraine? Certainly there were discussions at the highest level of our government. Frankly, I don't think you and I, wasn't on our radar. Maybe if you read foreign policy, it was on your radar, but for the business practitioner, from the compliance professional, I don't think we were thinking about a Russian invasion and what that might do to either our supply chain or business partners or customers. Well now, if the Ukrainian grain cannot be put in the global food supply chain, that's a huge disruption. The question that I thought about is what would be the effect of the disruption of the global food chain on one of our former employers, Aecom, Halliburton, businesses that you and I have both been involved with, but we don't think of as having perhaps a food risk. Nevertheless, if grain is not available, what do those types of risks mean for employees in allegedly or apparently unrelated companies? Companies have to start thinking about these kinds of things in ways that we haven't done before. I did a podcast earlier this week where someone said, "Look, the issue now is China and Taiwan." And he was absolutely right. That could be a military issue, could be a geopolitical issue. 82% of US semiconductors are made in Taiwan. That's a huge issue. Let's go back to our former employers who are now heavily invested in tech and actually use semiconductors as part of their manufacturing process. They're going to be impacted, let alone the US semiconductor industry and the US computer industry. That is something now that we have to consider. Are there any other geopolitical conflicts that could erupt, which might negatively impact our supply chains? And when I mean negatively, I mean you can't get your supplies out of those countries, whether it's a raw mineral, whether it's a extractive mineral, whatever it may be. Those types of issues now are more front and center than they ever have been. From the business perspective, Susan, supply chains, since at least the late '70s or early '80s, the primary goal was efficiency. That was generally translated to just-in-time. It was seen because of the experience in the '60s where particularly in the auto industry, you had lengthy supply chains and actually large number of parts piling up in warehouses that was deemed to be inefficient. They wanted it just before they needed it. That led to just-in-time. That led to one or two suppliers. We found that sole suppliers or sole plus one suppliers has a risk. That risk is, if they're in a geographic area that's wiped out by COVID, if they're in a geopolitical area that is no longer available to us, then we, as a company, have a problem with our supply chain. Certainly there are many industries that have been offshored outside of the United States. From our industry and service, or rather service industry folks like us, to manufacturing, to everything in between. That is now trying to be reshored on American soil. Can we do it? Yes. Can we do it tomorrow? Probably not. Can we do it in time for Christmas? Probably not. We're going to have to retrain, we're going to have to retool. We may have to allow greater immigration to get people in to do those jobs and it brings up an entire series of questions. It brings up economic questions. How much more is it going to cost to reshore? How much more does it cost and pay an American wage as opposed to a Philippine, Bangladeshi or other wage? Or you name the country outside the United States where the wages are disparate. All of those issues are now in play in a way that certainly they were percolating around and percolating along in the second half of the last decade. COVID-19 accelerated those conversations, particularly around just-in-time and sole source suppliers. But now, I don't know how much of the globe Russia consists of. I think at one point, it was 12%. That's not available to us as a supply chain partner now and Russian partners are not available to us as supply chain partners. Now, what happens if China is not available to us as a supply chain partner or Taiwan because of an armed conflict with China. How is that going to play? Or can we even get semiconductor chips out of Taiwan if they're in an armed conflict with China? All of these issues are now front and center and I think every company has to be looking at their supply chain, who's in their supply chain. Then obviously, this ties into things that were not deemed to be connected to all of these issues before, such as conflict minerals. Conflict minerals required you as a company to determine or any of the minerals you're buying, the four Ts, I think, coming out of countries primarily in Africa under conflict. This was the first time companies had really taken a deep dive, not to their direct suppliers, but to their sub-suppliers and they found out we don't exactly know who all of our sub-suppliers are. Obviously the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act has huge impact on supply chains and hopefully, we can talk about that at some length in a little bit, but all of these issues on supply chain, it's elevated the discussion of the corporate supply chain, I hope, to where it properly belongs, in the board of directors level. But for the people that we deal with, the CCOs and compliance professionals, I think it should be a part of an equal conversation because what are the risks? I was going to say implications, but what are the risks of moving your supply chain, reshoring it? It's a change so the risks change. It may not be an FCPA risk because you may be in the United States, but almost every state in the US has an anti-corruption law and a state anti-corruption law. I had to look at it one time, 37 states do. That's not that you can't bribe our state government officials, every state says that, but 37 with regular commercial private or private anti-bribery laws. When was the last time you, as a compliance professional, had to assess that issue, that risk? Lots of new risks and you, as a compliance professional, need to be a part of those discussions so you can begin preparing your corporation for those eventualities. Susan Divers: Well, that's a perfect example, or I should say it's an example on steroids of how you have to respond to the risks that face you today and hopefully, tomorrow, try to look around corners. I remember, I think it was in the 2020 guidance that DOJ put out. They said that you can't let your program be a snapshot in time or go on cruise control. That's one of the biggest traps I see people fall into. You ask them what their risks are and it's kind of like what the risks were last year. With this environment and with what you just outlined in terms of supply chain, there's going to be a lot for compliance teams to do. How should people be addressing that right now? I know we'll talk later about sanctions and anti-money laundering being the new FCPA as Deputy Attorney General Monaco said recently, but what's your advice today in terms of how to think about those risks? Tom Fox: Susan, you hit it exactly on the head. Assess your risks when your business changed. You reference the 2020 update to the Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs. That's where the first time the Department of Justice formally said, it's not an annual risk assessment. It's not a biennial, all-encompassing $100,000 risk assessment. It's an assessment when your business changed. The beauty of the timing of that statement, it was June, 2020, everyone's risk had changed because we were working from home. It didn't mean your risk increased or decreased, they changed. How do you assess working from home or how did you assess working from home from a compliance perspective? Once you made that assessment and then you found there were actually new risks, then you had to put a risk mitigation strategy in place, then you monitored that strategy to determine its effectiveness and then you used that information to upgrade your compliance program. The formula is in place for all of these things, but it starts with exactly what you said, Susan, assess your risks if your business has changed and everyone's business has changed literally, particularly in the supply chain. You've got to know who your suppliers are. From the business perspective, who can supply us is paramount. Pricing is going to be paramount. But from the compliance perspective, where are they getting those? If you're a clothing manufacturer, how many of your suppliers are coming out of Bangladesh and how many of those suppliers are violating any sort of fair trade or human rights laws? Even what's the safety, as we know from the Plaza collapse a few years back in Bangladesh. You have to know who's in your supply chain to a level and degree that you didn't previously think about unless you were in conflict minerals. But the beauty of that is that if you make that assessment down into your sub-suppliers from your supply chain, you as a business will be stronger. You will see, number one, if there are inefficiencies in our supply chain, but two, if there's a disruption, you'll be able to mitigate that if a disruption occurs because you can move to another supplier because you know where the parts are coming in from and hopefully, you'll be able to have prior knowledge or planning around that. But think of a weather event. In 2021, I was living in Houston. It hit seven degrees. That was the first time we'd had single-digit weather in Texas since 1890. Well, we can't prepare for that, yeah! This is a town that had gone through two 500-year floods and 1,000-year flood over the past 18 months. We had a wildfire north of Houston. We'd never had a wildfire in Houston, Texas in my lifetime. All of that's to say is that things have changed. I don't pretend to say I know which way it's going, I just know that you have to be there. You have to have assessed those risks and have a plan in place if you can't utilize all the way down in your supply chain, but that gives you the opportunity to be more business efficient and if a catastrophe does occur, you're more quickly able to respond. Starts with a risk assessment, put a risk management strategy in place, monitor that strategy, and then improve your compliance program as information becomes available to you. Susan Divers:I totally agree with that, Tom and I want to relate it back a little bit to a point you raised earlier too, which is this gives you an opportunity to make sure that you're dealing with ethical sub-suppliers and that your whole supply chain meets spec. I think I've seen in the past, in my long years as an ethics and compliance lawyer, and before that as more of a specialist on FCPA that a lot of times, people don't know who their sub-suppliers are and the first they find out is when there's fraud or potential bribery issue or diversion or a theft of intellectual property. It does give you an opportunity to get a more solid grip on your suppliers and make sure that they are the right people that you're dealing with. Let's turn from that, which is I think a very good segue to the issue of economic sanctions. There's really been a quantum leap in that area, even it was starting before Russia, I think, with the sanctions on Huawei and the heating up of tension in the US-China relationship, but now it's on a completely different level and that really, I think, has to be top of list for companies when they review their ENC programs. Can you talk about that and give us some guidance? Tom Fox: Sure. Once again, Susan, let me use the Russian invasion as the exclamation mark because under the Trump administration, we saw an exponential increase in the use of trade and economic sanctions. I had several friends in that space and every once in a while, I'd email them, "Well, we had three changes today. What do you expect this afternoon?" The point being that the prior administration saw those as legitimate and important tools for US national security. That has only increased now on steroids because of the Russian invasion. What the Trump administration's use of those tools did was it elevated the discussion of the trade compliance director in a corporation to the board of director level. It may have elevated them within the compliance function or generally within the C-suite because people now had to call trade compliance and say, "Anything new today?" Well, the sanctions that have come out after the Russian invasion have been all encompassing. Now, I looked before this podcast, I think we're on our seventh round of sanctions and more to come. That's seven rounds from the United States. That doesn't even count the UK and Western Europe who have equally sanctioned Russia. Many US multinational companies are also subject to UK or EU trade sanction directives. You need to be cognizant of those. But the current trade sanctions that have been levied, and when I say there's still more to come, we haven't gotten to the nuclear option, which is secondary sanctions. If we get to secondary sanctions, that's an entire level of trade and economic sanctions literally that we have not seen since World War II. Discussion though, around trade sanctions, and once again, I've talked to several of our colleagues who have that as their specific compliance remit and their specialization is they now feel elevated within the corporation. They feel that the issues they've been dealing with, their professional careers are now being discussed literally at the board of directors level because of these huge potential fines and penalties, the huge visibility. As important as these legal restrictions are, Susan, it's actually the reputational damage. Just think about the companies that either drag their feet about leaving Russia or were slow or less than somebody's idea of we need to be out of there. They were excoriated in the press for doing business in Russia after this invasion. Those conversations have largely on by the wayside because I think most US companies are out of Russia now, but the reputational damage for the violation of trade sanctions or even some sort of norm or standard now costs more than perhaps even the finer penalty would've cost. It's really a huge change for our colleagues. It's an important change because now, those issues are being evaluated together with supply chain at the board level in a way they have not been previously evaluated. You may now need to look, you need to call your trade director of trade compliance about issues in your supply chain. You need to call your director of trade compliance about where are we doing business? How are we doing business? Who are we doing business with? Who's our customer base? Are we selling with commission sales agents, company employees or distributors? If we're using distributors, are they reselling our products into Iran? Are they reselling our products into a country that's exporting to Russia? All of those issues now, I think, are being discussed at the highest level of a company. But for me, Susan, the real beauty of this discussion is finally, I think, the silos are coming down within a corporation and you're seeing a much more holistic approach to many of these issues that we'd not seen previously. Once again, if I could go back to the DOJ's June, 2020 update to the Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs as presaging all of this, they said in that document compliance must have access to all data silos within a company because compliance needs to know what everyone's doing so compliance can do its job. Well, that turned out to be true, but it turned out to be true much broader. I think the DOJ was onto something when they said that, and I think now, companies are realizing you have to have this holistic approach. Trade sanctions and export control sanctions are here to stay. The other insight from the Trump administration use of them and the Biden administration use of them is they're administration agnostic. They're not going to go away and if 2024, we have a Republican administration, they are probably going to continue those and they're not going away. If there's a Democratic administration, they're not going away. They're probably going to continue those. Sanctions, trade sanctions, export control sanctions are here to stay. They're probably going to get more robust. And until Russia pulls out of Ukraine, I think companies have to take these very, very seriously, both for a potential legal finer penalty, but even more important is in the commerce or the business place of public opinion. Susan Divers: I totally agree with everything you've said and you've made a very articulate vision of what a major challenge is for compliance teams. The only thing I would add is, it's interesting to me, that this can affect small and medium-sized companies that don't think in these terms and may not even really be very sophisticated. When I was looking a couple of months ago, I came across a case involving a false eyelash manufacturer who was importing what turned out to be false eyelashes that sourced in North Korea. I mean, it was a Chinese supplier, but the sub-supplier was North Korean and they got in trouble. As you know, it doesn't really matter if you don't know. That's no defense and they paid a fine for that. It was a good reminder that trade sanctions can affect everyone and that you really, hopefully, have to have that on your radar. Let's take an interesting topic off of this, which is have the enhanced sanctions started to really impact whistleblowers? I mean, we know that FCPA enforcement has certainly inspired a lot of whistleblowers, as well as SOX and other areas such as that. But what about trade sanctions and what about AML and what we're seeing? Tom Fox: That's been, I don't want to say it was an unintended consequence, but one of the most interesting outcomes or aspects of the Russian invasion. For the first probably 30 days, the most ubiquitous picture of the Russian invasion was a yacht steaming away because it was a Russian oligarch's yacht and they were trying to steam to a port where the US couldn't come in and forfeit them because of trade sanctions and sanctions put on the Russian oligarchs. But here's what happened. On January 1st of 2021, US Congress overrode President Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act. In that bill, there was something called the AML law of 2020. The AML law of 2020 was the first update to our anti-money laundering laws and trade sanctions laws since the Patriot Act passed in the wake of 911. As part of that change, a bounty program for whistleblowers was put in place similar to the SEC bounty program put in place in Dodd-Frank. That Department of Treasury money laundering or anti-money laundering bounty program applies to those Russian yachts because if a yacht is seized and sold, the person who reported it can be eligible for up to 30% of the proceeds of that sale. This created an entire cottage industry of marine yacht hunters who knew and they are working with law firms to actively, and when they find one in a port that the US can get jurisdiction over, these law firms notify the DOJ and then the DOJ does whatever they need to do to try to get seizure of that yacht in a foreign country. That was viewed as hugely popular and the American public is cheering them on in a way whistleblowers have never been cheered on in our lifetimes. I remember I interviewed a woman whose law firm specializes in whistleblowing and I said sort of in an offhand manner, "Are you telling me that whistleblowing is sexy?" Her response is, "You mean, it hasn't always been that way?" No, it hadn't. But now, it was seen as directly in the interest of the United States, particularly our national security for these whistleblowers to come forward. As important as whistleblowing is to the SEC, I don't think it had ever been considered a national security issue. That ties to what the Department of Treasury has announced publicly that they expect US corporations to be in on the fight of trade and economic sanctions and money laundering by self-reporting. I had had a little trouble tying self-reporting of your own violation to the fight against national security. But what the Treasury Department argued was, come to us, tell us if you find people within your organization violating trade sanctions or economic sanctions and we'll give you credit for that, that may be a declination up to it, including a declination. The DOT has truly tried to incentivize companies to be a part of this fight and that is now the same for whistleblowing. Whistleblowers are now seen. There's one other document called US Strategy on Combating Corruption, which came out in December, 2021. In that document, the Biden administration pointed to whistleblowers as a component of the fight against bribery and corruption, which that document elevated to national security status. Now, we have whistleblowers who before the Russian invasion, certainly were a part of the legal landscape and part of the compliance landscape, but now they're being told, you are a part of our national security interest and you are a part of our national security fight and if you bring us this information in the form of blowing the whistle, you will be rewarded. The US public is saying, you go. You go find those yachts. You go find those people who are doing business with those that are not in the national security interest of the United States and we'll support that. That's, in my mind, just a huge psychological change. Susan, I know you have written and said more about whistleblowing and how to treat whistleblowers than about anybody and I know this is something that you've been talking about for a long, long time, but I really see this as a true shift in the way whistleblowers are thought of in the United States. Susan Divers: Well, I'm glad you brought that point out because I think that's true. Tying it furthermore to the impact of corruption on national security, I think is an idea whose time has come and we're going to do a whole other podcast on that as part of this series so I won't get into it a lot. But the concept of corruption as a victimless crime has been around as long as I've been practicing, which is a long time. It's not a victimless crime. I don't need to convince you. But it basically corrodes good governance, it corrodes social structures, it makes it harder for the poor. I mean, if I can go bribe my way, get a MRI ahead of everybody else in some less developed country, I'm jeopardizing the other people who can't afford that in that country and I'm also corroding ethics and good governance, but it hasn't been seen that way in the past, either by the government really or in the corporate community, and so we'll get into that more in the next podcast. But that's fascinating to tie the whistleblowing into that and it has the additional benefit of being true, if you will. I have to say, I love the image of the yacht hunters. It's one of the first things I read when I open The Wall Street Journal in the morning to see if there's some oligarch's yacht that's being towed away or whatever, but it's definitely an idea whose time has come. Tom Fox: For those of you who think our ever new ideas, I think if you look back in history, that was called piracy and or rading by English- Susan Divers: Letters of marque. Tom Fox: Yes, exactly. Letters of marque. It's an old concept, but it's equally valid today. Susan Divers: Well, let's close off this session because we're going to do another podcast and talk more about anti-corruption and sustainability. But one of the things I was curious about is how does all of this tie in to the level of transparency that we're seeing in international trade, in commerce? Our chairman of the board, Dov Seidman, whom I know you know of and know has written a lot in the past about radical transparency and how does that tie in to what we've been talking about? Tom Fox: Susan, let me go back to 2015 and the Volkswagen emission testing scandal. I read a speech by the head of the German Manufacturer's Council, so the German trade group for manufacturers. In that speech he said, "The answer is compliance and transparency." One, be in compliance, but two, be transparent about it. That is how we, as a German industry, will get through this. Volkswagen has done what they've done. We can't stop that or do anything about that, but we, the rest of German manufacturing, can be in compliance and can be transparent about that compliance. That really struck me at the time and it stuck with me since then. The transparency, the radical transparency that Dov talks about is even more important in 2022 because of things like the Business Roundtable Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation. How many stakeholders are there now? Previously, there have been only shareholders, but now you have multiple stakeholders. It can be your employees, it can be your third parties. It can be those localities where you do business and that's where that radical transparency is so critical because they may not own shares and they may not be able to vote, but they can vote with their pocketbook. The radical transparency allows you to demonstrate to stakeholders who are going to vote with their pocketbook that we do business ethically and we are in compliance, and that you can and should do business with us because our values are what your values are. That's, to me, the power of radical transparency and it's the ability to demonstrate to those who are not regulators. Because remember, if you're fined for a regulatory violation, that's seen as a below the line sunk cost. Just the cost of doing business. Tell me how much my fine is and I can reserve for it, whatever it is. What I cannot reserve for is if 5, 10, 25 or 50% of my customer base chooses not to buy my products because I've been found to have violated sanctions or I've been found to have used Uyghur labor in product site sourced out of China, or you name the issue. That's not a bottom line cost. That's a top of the line cost. That's a cost you can never get back because you can't reserve for non-sales. It's a cost you can't anticipate, you can't reserve for, you can't mitigate the risk because once you don't have sales, you don't have sales. To me, that concept of transparency, that concept of doing business ethically, in compliance and that concept of radical transparency all really protects you and allows you as a corporation to say, "This is what we stand for. This is why we're proud to sell a product to you and hopefully, you're proud to buy a product from us." Susan Divers: Well, you're right and that really tees up the heart of sustainability. Sustainability isn't one giant checklist after another. It's what are we really doing and how are we doing it? What you're also saying too is, and it ties with things Dov said in the past, that we live in an age of radical transparency where anyone can go on Twitter, I guess, if they pay the $8 now or post on Facebook or Instagram or wherever and expose concerns. And with the incredible increase in sanctions and money laundering controls, it's just a further reason, if anyone needed one, why you have to get your house in order and you have to make sure that you are dealing with those risks effectively and of course, walk the walk as well as talk the talk. We are running out of time, unfortunately, but I'm excited to mention again that we're going to continue this conversation in an upcoming podcast. It's been such a pleasure having you today, and I know we could keep talking for another couple of hours, but we'll have further opportunities in the future. Tom Fox: I always have way too much fun when you and I sit and chit chat, whether it's over a lunch, a coffee, or a podcast, so thank you, Susan. Susan Divers: Oh, I feel the same way, Tom. My name is Susan Divers and I want to thank you all for tuning into the Principled Podcast by LRN. Outro: We hope you enjoyed this episode. The Principled Podcast is brought to you by LRN. At LRN, our mission is to inspire principled performance and global organizations by helping them foster winning, ethical cultures rooted in sustainable values. Please visit us at lrn.com to learn more. And if you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen. And don't forget to leave us a review.

covid-19 christmas united states american director california texas donald trump uk china england voice state africa russia office chinese joe biden ukraine washington dc german board russian european union dc institute trade world war ii iran starts republicans companies workplace excellence wall street journal sustainability ethics vladimir putin council letters lessons learned taiwan stitcher wales democratic google podcasts sec ukrainian forum pricing north korea corporations compliance evaluation bangladesh world economic forum impacting treasury whistleblowers volkswagen mri doj c suite huawei assess george washington university plaza sanctions divers north korean geopolitics us china us congress tying western europe northern virginia ts geopolitical high court ec lockheed martin sox trinity college uyghur treasury department patriot act sonnenschein aml bangladeshi russian invasion solicitor dov national defense authorization act dodd frank halliburton lexisnexis enc advisory boards saic aecom c suite network legal advisor fcpa tom fox compliance programs ccos many us lrn us strategy uyghur forced labor prevention act compliance podcast network corporate compliance programs national law center bribery act dov seidman fcpa compliance rutgers university center

The Doorstep: What You Need to Know About Global Supply Chains, with the AP's Joshua Goodman

Carnegie Council Audio Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2022 33:04

Almost a year ago, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act was signed into law by President Biden in response to consumer demands for more oversight of what we buy, how it is made and under what conditions. This one effort to bring more transparency to the murky world of global supply chains is now being overshadowed by companies' efforts to limit cargo data. The Associated Press' Joshua Goodman joins Doorstep co-hosts Nick Gvosdev and Tatiana Serafin to discuss his latest reporting on the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee and recommendations that will hinder efforts to hold companies accountable in foreign supply chains. Will consumers keep up the pressure or will midterm election concerns overtake transparency efforts? For more, please go to carnegiecouncil.org.

joe biden global supply chains associated press doorstep uyghur forced labor prevention act joshua goodman

LIVE from RE+: The race is on to meet demand with made-in-America solar modules

Factor This!

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2022 28:10

In June, President Joe Biden announced a two-year pause on new tariffs on solar modules imported from Southeast Asia— much-needed relief for the industry that was brought to a standstill.Weeks later, though, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act took effect and has resulted in the detention of modules believed to have been manufactured in the Xinjiang region of China using forced labor.Vulnerabilities in the solar supply chain have been magnified over the past year. With historic incentives for domestic solar production secured by the Inflation Reduction Act, can the US ramp up manufacturing capacity before new tariffs are potentially imposed as a result of the Auxin Solar petition? On Episode 19 of the Factor This! podcast, leaders from Cypress Creek Renewables, Lightsource bp, and Qcells took on this all-important question live from RE+ in Anaheim. Show notes: -Episode article -Watch the live recording of Factor This! at RE+ on the Renewable Energy World YouTube channel-Check out the energy industry's newest event, the GridTECH Connect Forum, which will bring together utility leaders and DER developers to tackle interconnection issues.-Introducing: The Texas Power PodcastSponsor:-This episode is sponsored by Nextracker, the industry's most advanced smart solar tracking systems. Learn more about how Nextracker is ramping up domestic manufacturing capacity to 10 GW here. Factor This! is produced by Renewable Energy World and Clarion Energy. Connect with John Engel, the host of Factor This!, on LinkedIn and Twitter.

china race joe biden solar southeast asia anaheim inflation reduction act gw made in america xinjiang vulnerabilities modules light source uyghur forced labor prevention act nextracker renewable energy world auxin solar

Intent v. Effect of Uyghur Forced Labor Regulation

Dial P for Procurement

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2022 21:44

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which took effect on June 21, 2022, is aimed at stopping human rights abuses taking place in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. All goods coming from the region are assumed to be the result of forced labor unless the importer can prove otherwise – an uphill climb to be sure. Despite the good intent behind the law, many challenges remain. The United Nations recently found that human rights concerns exist, but China still holds a seat on the U.N. Human Rights council. Of all the supply chains affected by the law, solar panels are facing the greatest scrutiny and disruption so far. Can the impact of the UFLPA live up to the expectations? In this week's Dial P audio podcast, Kelly Barner follows up on the UFLPA post-enactment to see how the good intent of this new law is playing out in practice: • What the UFLPA is hoping to accomplish? • What has the implementation of the law been like so far? • What questions remain unanswered? Additional Links & Resources: Learn more about Dial P for Procurement: https://supplychainnow.com/programs/dial-p-for-procurement (https://supplychainnow.com/programs/dial-p-for-procurement) Subscribe to Dial P for Procurement: https://dial-p-for-procurement.captivate.fm/listen (https://dial-p-for-procurement.captivate.fm/listen) Preparing for the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and Regulations Featuring Constantine Limberakis with riskmethods: https://dial-p-for-procurement.captivate.fm/dp23 (https://dial-p-for-procurement.captivate.fm/dp23) This episode was hosted by Kelly Barner. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/intent-effect-uyghur-forced-labor-regulation-dp40

china preparing united nations human rights regulation intent procurement uyghur forced labor uyghur forced labor prevention act uflpa kelly barner

White & Case's Clare Connellan on Human Rights Due Diligence

RiskWatch

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2022 17:46

Clare Connellan, Partner in White & Case's London office and Head of the firm's Business & Human Rights Interest Group, joins the RiskWatch podcast to share strategies for ensuring compliance with Modern Slavery and Supply Chain regulations, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and the German Supply Chain Act. This conversation covers:00:00 - 00:49 Introduction00:50 - 02:54 An overview of White & Case's Business & Human Rights Interest Group02:55 - 03:59 Clare's path to human rights due diligence04:00 - 05:55 Best practices for legal teams 05:56 - 06:51 Starting point for overwhelmed compliance officers06:52 - 09:50 The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act09:51 - 13:07 The German Supply Chain Act13:08 - 15:28 Increasing scrutiny of corporate social statements 15:29 - 16:32 Growth of human rights-focused compliance roles16:33 - 17:44 Regulations to watch

head business starting growth partner increasing human rights supply chains regulations due diligence modern slavery uyghur forced labor prevention act

Legal Ramifications of Human Rights in the Business World

Law, disrupted

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2022 37:38

In this episode of Law, disrupted, John is joined by a professor of Ethics and Finance at NYU's Stern School of Business and a director of the Center for Business and Human Rights, Michael Posner. He is also joined by Julianne Hughes-Jennett, Head of Quinn Emanuel's ESG practice and experienced litigator of business and human rights issues. Together, they discuss what we really understand the term “human rights” to mean for business and the current challenges regarding human rights implementation across the business world.The three begin by delving into the meaning of “human rights” and their legal ramifications for business, including whether “human rights” means different things in different jurisdictions.Michael moves the conversation towards due diligence in relation to human rights and enforcement of human rights in connection with business, noting recent legislative examples, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which was created to make sure the US doesn't support forced labor among ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region. Julianne picks up with recent EU developments, including the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and legislation such as the Failure to Prevent Act in France. She also posits whether the UK Bribery Act's section 7, failure to prevent offense, could be a model for a provision for a mechanism for a failure to prevent human rights impact by the business. This could bring greater legal certainty for businesses and victims, alike.Finally, the trio mulls over the meaning of ESG and how it has evolved since its creation around 20 years ago. Michael notes that companies often heed such guidelines cynically in the name of ROI. He also emphasizes the financial implications of social issues related to labor supply chains.

head business france law failure european union finance legal ethics roi human rights nyu esg xinjiang ramifications business world stern school quinn emanuel uyghur forced labor prevention act michael posner uk bribery act

Buckle Up Your Chinstraps

The Far Middle

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2022 24:01

Far Middle episode 63 features a co-dedication to two NFL hall-of-fame number 63’s: the Oakland Raiders’ Gene Upshaw and Kansas City Chiefs’ Willie Lanier. Listen as Nick recounts the 1968 AFC Divisional Playoff when Upshaw and Lanier went head-to-head, and where Lanier and the Chiefs won the matchup’s coin toss and chose to defend the South goal line. On returning to the Oakland bench, Upshaw told his teammates: “Buckle up your chinstraps. We’ve just been insulted.” Nick then starts connecting dots, starting with the insults the Biden administration continues to hand down on Americans, highlighting the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act amidst broader inconsistent U.S. trade and energy policy. “What gets interesting is when all these points come together,” says Nick. “We have all of these U.S. government intentions and desires colliding and conflicting into a massive and incoherent and illogical mess.” Next, Nick discusses how dependent and interconnected everything is to energy, and the natural gas shortage facing the EU. He then transitions to the mounting risks and concerns surrounding public pensions—a topic discussed at length in Precipice, in the chapter, Funding Sources Part 2: Unwitting Retirees (AKA “Other People’s Money”). Nick concludes by commenting on the four political parties he sees in America today, and then closes by reflecting on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in conjunction with the upcoming 59th anniversary of his "I Have a Dream" speech.

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons | July 30, 2022

Ending Human Trafficking Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2022 6:13

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is recognized to stress the harms of human trafficking women, men, and children around the world experience. Efforts to address these crimes are strengthened through survivor leadership, research and education, and building resilient communities. In the recent release of the 2022 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report from the U.S. Department of States Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, 21 countries were upgraded a tier because of their increasing work to address human trafficking in their countries--a victory worth celebrating this World Day Against Trafficking in Persons! This year, we are highlighting the supply and demand of the market that drives labor trafficking and how businesses and corporations can combat human trafficking by analyzing their supply chains, implementing ethical labor practices, and building sustainable avenues of income and resources for employees. Highlighted Episodes: 280 – Shifting the Supply Chain Burden, with Justin Dillon 269 – Empowering Businesses to Create a Slave Free World, with Matt Friedman 267 – The Intersection of Business and Human Rights, with John Cotton Richmond 266 – Rescuing Boys Labor Trafficked in the Fishing Industry, with Chris Field 247 – Perspectives on Transformation in Labor Trafficking, with Ben Skinner 244 - The Role of Customs and Border Protection in Disrupting Supply Chain 209 - Who's Watching the Watchdog? Is Supply Chain Transparency Working? 195 - The Sydney Framework: Supply Chains and Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 162 - Starfish Business Model for Serving Survivors, with Jenny McGee 17 - California Transparency in Supply Chains Act 10 - How a Small Business Can Help End Human Trafficking Love the show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! Become a Patron Transcript Sandie [00:00:14] Greetings to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast community of listeners. It is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons and our podcast has listeners in 148 countries. This is an important day for us. It's just me, Sandie Morgan, today to let you know that I'm taking a few weeks off in August, so Dave and I will return to our regular schedule on August 29th. In the meantime, let's celebrate the United Nations annual observance by joining forces with our movement's global partners as we study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. Our latest episode, Shifting the Supply Chain Burden, with Justin Dillon, took a deep dive on some of the legislation that has been passed most recently, especially the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. It's a big step forward in our movement, but we've been looking at this issue for more than a decade on our podcast. So during this short break, we've put together a decade of ten episodes around the role of business in ending human trafficking. Just go to the website www.endinghumantrafficking.org and click on the link to browse these recommendations. You can start most recently with Episode 269, when Matt Friedman suggested how we can empower businesses to create a slave free world. And of course, one of our frequent podcast guests and former Ambassador John Cotton Richmond joined us for episode 267, The Intersection of Business and Human Rights. In Episode 266, we went to Ghana with Chris Field rescuing boys labor trafficked in the fishing industry. And back on episode 247, Ben Skinner gave us the high level look from a corporate change viewpoint in fast fashion on perspectives on transformation in labor trafficking. We brought Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner Cynthia Wittenberg on the podcast to talk to us about the role of Customs and Border Protection in disrupting supply chain forced labor. And back on 209,

business transformation watching shifting effort united nations perspectives ghana human rights intersection monitor persons customs trafficking sustainable development goals watchdog border protection world day fishing industry chris field matt friedman labor trafficking ending human trafficking uyghur forced labor prevention act combat trafficking justin dillon ben skinner sandie morgan john cotton richmond

Russia opts out of International Space Station

PRI's The World

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2022 48:18

On Tuesday, Russia announced that it plans to end its collaboration on the International Space Station by 2024. It's just the latest move away from international collaboration in space among major powers, including the US, Russia and China. And, more than 100,000 Uyghur Muslims are working against their will in factories that are major producers for key industries such as apparel and solar. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act now prohibits the import of any goods made in Xinjiang, China, unless companies can prove they are not using forced labor. Also, Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov is visiting a slew of different African countries this week with the alleged objective of maintaining and strengthening ties there. Plus, we hear the sounds of Wax Machine, a British band fronted by Brazilian-born Lau Ro.

china british russia african minister brazilian international space station xinjiang uyghur muslims uyghur forced labor prevention act

US companies reexamine supply chains under new law against Uyghur forced labor

PRI: Arts and Entertainment

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2022

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act has been in effect one month. Human rights lawyer Rayhan Asat said that it's the first time that a US law imposes demanding standards on importers to disprove the use of forced labor in their goods coming into the US.

human supply chains uyghur new law forced labor us companies uyghur forced labor prevention act

Sleeper Issue on US-China Trade

The Trade Guys

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2022 34:01

This week, the Trade Guys have a special episode devoted to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which has now taken effect in the United States.

united states sleeper us china trade uyghur forced labor prevention act trade guys

280 – Shifting the Supply Chain Burden, with Justin Dillon

Ending Human Trafficking Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2022 22:44

Sandie is joined by Justin Dillon to discuss new legislation that will address known forced labor in supply chains. They look at how companies can become aware and map their supply chain, various tools available on the market, and the need for a balance between educating and incentivizing corporations. Justin Dillon Justin is an entrepreneur, author, and artist. He founded the enterprise software company FRDM, with a mission of changing the world through the power of our purchases. FRDM is a business platform used by Fortune 500 companies to measure and mitigate risk of forced labor in supply chains. Justin is also the Founder and CEO of Made In A Free World, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending forced labor, human trafficking, and modern-day slavery through increased public awareness, action and advocacy. He is author of A Selfish Plan to Change the World (2017) which reveals the secret to a life of deep and lasting significance: the discovery that our need for meaning is inextricably linked to the needs of the world. Justin made his directorial debut in the film Call + Response, which revealed the world's 27 million dirtiest secrets: there are more slaves today than ever before in human history. The “rockumentary” was theatrically released around the world and became one of the top documentaries of 2008. Justin founded the nonprofit organization Slavery Footprint. Partnering with the U.S. State Department and Google, they launched a multiple-award-winning website that asks the question, “How Many Slaves Work For You?” The website and mobile app allow consumers to visualize how their consumption habits are connected to modern-day slavery. Justin has worked in technology and human rights for ten years, advising the United Nations, White House, and several Fortune 100 companies on supply chain transparency and the purpose economy. Key Points People want to do good with lives, so for advocates, its about how to get more people involved and aware. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) "imposes various restrictions related to China's Xinjiang Uyghur region, including by prohibiting certain imports from Xinjiang and imposing sanctions on those responsible for human rights violations there." Transparency in supply chains can solves problems, other than forced labor, such as environmental climate change problems and operational problems. The Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF) will implement a cycle of monitoring and evaluating work being done by corporations to adapt to the UFLPA bill. It is important that buyer work with their suppliers to improve their supply chain and create incentives for supplies to be transparent. As a movement, remember to celebrate the wins. Resources California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, 2010 EP. 17 - California Transparency in Supply Chains Act EP. 209 – Is Supply Chain Transparency Working? with Ben Greer EP. 195 – The Sydney Framework: Supply Chains and Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, with John McCarthy EP. 267 – The Intersection of Business and Human Rights, with John Cotton Richmond EP. 269 – Empowering Businesses to Create a Slave Free World, with Matt Friedman EP. 247 – Perspectives on Transformation in Labor Trafficking, with Ben Skinner Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Love the show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! Become a Patron Transcript Dave [00:00:00] You're listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. This is episode number 280, Shifting the Supply Chain Burden, with Justin Dillon. Production Credits [00:00:09] Produced by Innovate Learning, maximizing human potential. Dave [00:00:30] Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. My name is Dave Stachowiak. Sandie [00:00:35] And my name is Sandie Morgan.

U.S. midterm elections and China policy with Rory Murphy

China Corner Office

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2022 22:00

Today on China Corner Office, Chris Marquis talks to Rory Murphy, vice president of government affairs at the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC) to discuss a recent report on the implications of the U.S. midterm elections for U.S.-China trade relations. Topics discussed include recent policy initiatives such as the CHIPS Act, the National Critical Capabilities Defense Act, and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. These acts reflect both convergence and divergence between the attitudes of the Democrats and the Republicans on China, as well as within the parties themselves. Also discussed are midterm election campaign strategies and the rhetoric on China in campaigns, specifically in the states of Pennsylvania and Ohio. A final topic is the implications for US-China business relations if Republicans take charge of the House and the Senate.A transcript of this conversation is available on SupChina.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

china house ohio pennsylvania republicans democrats senate midterms midterm elections us china chips act china policy supchina uyghur forced labor prevention act

Episode 6- Forced Labor in Supply Chains

Torres Talks Trade

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2022 38:18

This week's episode looks at the U.S. government's enforcement of laws that combat forced labor in supply chains, including the newly passed Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, as well as the impact of forced labor compliance on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives. How can companies ensure their supply chains are compliant and protect against the risk of having their goods seized or detained? Find out as host Olga Torres is joined by Ana Hinojosa, a former Executive Director at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a former Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the Office of International Affairs at CBP, and a fromer Director of Compliance and Facilitation for the World Customs Organization, now President of ABH Global Trade Consulting, and Kelli Thompson, a former Supervisory Import Specialist at CBP and now the CEO of Integrity International Trade Consulting.

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MBW 824: Two-Headed Chihuahua - Mobile Tracking, Safari's WebKit, NBA All-World

MacBreak Weekly (Audio)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2022 116:33

Mobile Tracking, Safari's WebKit, NBA All-World Base 13-Inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip appears to have significantly slower SSD speeds. US senators ask FTC to investigate Apple and Google over mobile tracking. Russia threatens Apple with fines for not storing user data within the country. U.S. Supreme Court won't hear Apple's bid to revive Qualcomm patent challenges. How refactoring code in Safari's WebKit resurrected 'zombie' security bug. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act - enforcement begins. Apple Watch Series 8 rumored to feature new Low Power Mode. Apple readies iPhone 14 and HomePod upgrade in flood of new products. AirPods Max beta confirms higher quality Bluetooth codec. AirPods Pro 2 case redesign with rumored Find My feature shown off in leak, earbud appearance unchanged. Pokémon Go makers take on basketball with NBA All-World. For All Mankind' prop fused an Apple Newton MessagePad 120 and an iPhone 12. iWork update brings new features to Pages, Numbers, and Keynote with version 12.1. Picks of the Week Alex's Pick: Craiyon Andy's Pick: Tot Rene's Pick: Moment Anamorphic Adapter Hosts: Alex Lindsay, Rene Ritchie, Andy Ihnatko, and Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: nomadgoods.com/MACBREAK onepeloton.com go.newtek.com/twit-tv

MBW 824: Two-Headed Chihuahua - Mobile Tracking, Safari's WebKit, NBA All-World

MacBreak Weekly (Video HI)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2022 117:06

Mobile Tracking, Safari's WebKit, NBA All-World Base 13-Inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip appears to have significantly slower SSD speeds. US senators ask FTC to investigate Apple and Google over mobile tracking. Russia threatens Apple with fines for not storing user data within the country. U.S. Supreme Court won't hear Apple's bid to revive Qualcomm patent challenges. How refactoring code in Safari's WebKit resurrected 'zombie' security bug. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act - enforcement begins. Apple Watch Series 8 rumored to feature new Low Power Mode. Apple readies iPhone 14 and HomePod upgrade in flood of new products. AirPods Max beta confirms higher quality Bluetooth codec. AirPods Pro 2 case redesign with rumored Find My feature shown off in leak, earbud appearance unchanged. Pokémon Go makers take on basketball with NBA All-World. For All Mankind' prop fused an Apple Newton MessagePad 120 and an iPhone 12. iWork update brings new features to Pages, Numbers, and Keynote with version 12.1. Picks of the Week Alex's Pick: Craiyon Andy's Pick: Tot Rene's Pick: Moment Anamorphic Adapter Hosts: Alex Lindsay, Rene Ritchie, Andy Ihnatko, and Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: nomadgoods.com/MACBREAK onepeloton.com go.newtek.com/twit-tv

MacBreak Weekly 824: Two-Headed Chihuahua

All TWiT.tv Shows (MP3)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2022 116:33

Mobile Tracking, Safari's WebKit, NBA All-World Base 13-Inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip appears to have significantly slower SSD speeds. US senators ask FTC to investigate Apple and Google over mobile tracking. Russia threatens Apple with fines for not storing user data within the country. U.S. Supreme Court won't hear Apple's bid to revive Qualcomm patent challenges. How refactoring code in Safari's WebKit resurrected 'zombie' security bug. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act - enforcement begins. Apple Watch Series 8 rumored to feature new Low Power Mode. Apple readies iPhone 14 and HomePod upgrade in flood of new products. AirPods Max beta confirms higher quality Bluetooth codec. AirPods Pro 2 case redesign with rumored Find My feature shown off in leak, earbud appearance unchanged. Pokémon Go makers take on basketball with NBA All-World. For All Mankind' prop fused an Apple Newton MessagePad 120 and an iPhone 12. iWork update brings new features to Pages, Numbers, and Keynote with version 12.1. Picks of the Week Alex's Pick: Craiyon Andy's Pick: Tot Rene's Pick: Moment Anamorphic Adapter Hosts: Alex Lindsay, Rene Ritchie, Andy Ihnatko, and Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: nomadgoods.com/MACBREAK onepeloton.com go.newtek.com/twit-tv

MacBreak Weekly 824: Two-Headed Chihuahua

All TWiT.tv Shows (Video LO)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2022 117:06

Mobile Tracking, Safari's WebKit, NBA All-World Base 13-Inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip appears to have significantly slower SSD speeds. US senators ask FTC to investigate Apple and Google over mobile tracking. Russia threatens Apple with fines for not storing user data within the country. U.S. Supreme Court won't hear Apple's bid to revive Qualcomm patent challenges. How refactoring code in Safari's WebKit resurrected 'zombie' security bug. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act - enforcement begins. Apple Watch Series 8 rumored to feature new Low Power Mode. Apple readies iPhone 14 and HomePod upgrade in flood of new products. AirPods Max beta confirms higher quality Bluetooth codec. AirPods Pro 2 case redesign with rumored Find My feature shown off in leak, earbud appearance unchanged. Pokémon Go makers take on basketball with NBA All-World. For All Mankind' prop fused an Apple Newton MessagePad 120 and an iPhone 12. iWork update brings new features to Pages, Numbers, and Keynote with version 12.1. Picks of the Week Alex's Pick: Craiyon Andy's Pick: Tot Rene's Pick: Moment Anamorphic Adapter Hosts: Alex Lindsay, Rene Ritchie, Andy Ihnatko, and Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: nomadgoods.com/MACBREAK onepeloton.com go.newtek.com/twit-tv

Sportswashing: The Human Rights Implications of Mega Sporting Events

Intersections: Where Human Rights and Democracy Meet

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2022 31:40

This episode of Intersections reviews the human rights news of the week, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act going into effect, and the initiative by the UK government to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. Human Rights Initiative Director Marti Flacks also discusses major developments in the world of sports and the unexpected human rights connections there with Mary Harvey, CEO of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights. Additional resources: Centre for Sport and Human Rights: https://www.sporthumanrights.org/ The Fan's Guide to Human Rights: https://www.sporthumanrights.org/news/cshr-and-football-supporters-europe-release-fans-human-rights-guide/ FIFA Human Rights Policy: https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/1a876c66a3f0498d/original/kr05dqyhwr1uhqy2lh6r-pdf.pdf BHRRC Qatar World Cup Portal: https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/from-us/fifa-world-cup-qatar-2022-parallel-portal/ US-Mexico-Canada “United” Bid Human Rights Strategy: https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/35837f1073bdad15/original/s2xnrvfjg9kp0zelhxnt-pdf.pdf Dignity 2026 coalition: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/group-asks-for-living-wages-labor-rights-for-2026-world-cup/2022/06/25/44723046-f44f-11ec-ac16-8fbf7194cd78_story.html

ceo uk guide sports mega implications human rights rwanda intersections sporting events uyghur forced labor prevention act

MacBreak Weekly 824: Two-Headed Chihuahua

Total Mikah (Video)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2022 117:06

Mobile Tracking, Safari's WebKit, NBA All-World Base 13-Inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip appears to have significantly slower SSD speeds. US senators ask FTC to investigate Apple and Google over mobile tracking. Russia threatens Apple with fines for not storing user data within the country. U.S. Supreme Court won't hear Apple's bid to revive Qualcomm patent challenges. How refactoring code in Safari's WebKit resurrected 'zombie' security bug. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act - enforcement begins. Apple Watch Series 8 rumored to feature new Low Power Mode. Apple readies iPhone 14 and HomePod upgrade in flood of new products. AirPods Max beta confirms higher quality Bluetooth codec. AirPods Pro 2 case redesign with rumored Find My feature shown off in leak, earbud appearance unchanged. Pokémon Go makers take on basketball with NBA All-World. For All Mankind' prop fused an Apple Newton MessagePad 120 and an iPhone 12. iWork update brings new features to Pages, Numbers, and Keynote with version 12.1. Picks of the Week Alex's Pick: Craiyon Andy's Pick: Tot Rene's Pick: Moment Anamorphic Adapter Hosts: Alex Lindsay, Rene Ritchie, Andy Ihnatko, and Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: nomadgoods.com/MACBREAK onepeloton.com go.newtek.com/twit-tv

How the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Became Law

The Dispatch Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2022 118:45

This is the audio version of the story documenting the creation and passage of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. The story is based on more than 21 hours of interviews with more than two dozen people involved, including lawmakers, staff, and human rights advocates. Show Notes:-PDF: How the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Became Law-Introduction and Part 1-Parts 2 and 3-Parts 4 and 5-Parts 6 and 7-Parts 8 and 9

china politics law prevention human rights genocide uyghur forced labor uyghur forced labor prevention act

Tuesday is "E"-day

Legal Listening: The Fox Rothschild LLP Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2022 4:19

Tuesday is "E"-day: Enforcement day of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act which presumes all goods made in whole or part from goods made in Xinjiang China are forced labor goods. Learn more on today's Two Minutes in Trade

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ESG Podcast Episode 7 - Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2022 10:41

President Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act into law in December 2021. While goods made with forced labor have long been prohibited from entry into the United States, this new law greatly expands Customs and Border Protection's enforcement authority and creates a presumption that importers must now overcome should they import merchandise from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China. With the law slated to take full effect on June 21, 2022, businesses in all industries that import finished products or raw materials need to assess the consequences that this federal guidance will have on importation. Host David Colvin, Co-Chair of Fox Rothschild's Environmental, Social & Governance Practice Group, is joined by his firm colleague and fellow ESG attorney Brittney Powell to explore the significance of the Act and the expected enforcement procedures.

Xinjiang and US Imports: The UFLPA's Regulatory Revolution

ChinaTalk

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2022 63:58

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act will come into force in the US on June, 21, 2022. On this episode, John Foote, a partner and the head of the customs practice at Kelley Drye & Warren, discusses the ins and out of what it will mean for companies importing to the US. We also get into: - The legal history of preventing goods produced by forced labor from being imported to the US. - How companies could run into supply chain issues if any of their raw materials for goods come from Xinjiang. - What it means for Chinese entities. - The difficult appeals process for disputing customs seizures. Outro music: Alenurkhan performed by Ayshemgul Memet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvVJrSXiwOI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

chinese revolution regulatory xinjiang imports uyghur forced labor prevention act kelley drye

Xinjiang and US Imports: The UFLPA's Regulatory Revolution

ChinaEconTalk

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2022 63:58

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act will come into force in the US on June, 21, 2022. On this episode, John Foote, a partner and the head of the customs practice at Kelley Drye & Warren, discusses the ins and out of what it will mean for companies importing to the US. We also get into: - The legal history of preventing goods produced by forced labor from being imported to the US. - How companies could run into supply chain issues if any of their raw materials for goods come from Xinjiang. - What it means for Chinese entities. - The difficult appeals process for disputing customs seizures. Outro music: Alenurkhan performed by Ayshemgul Memet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvVJrSXiwOI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

chinese revolution regulatory xinjiang imports uyghur forced labor prevention act kelley drye

Dial P Crossover: Preparing for the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act

Supply Chain Now Radio

Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2022 63:08

Governments and regulators across the globe are stepping up their oversight of corporate operations so they can drive more ethical and environmentally sustainable business practices. Each effort to uncover harmful and unethical business practices - such as environmental degradation, unfair or unsafe working conditions, and modern slavery – increases the challenge for procurement and supply chain professionals increases. One such example, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, takes effect on June 21, 2022. It states that all goods made in Xinjiang, China will be presumed to involve slave labor unless the company can prove otherwise. Like other ESG laws, the Uyghur FLPA will require companies to increase visibility into first-tier suppliers as well as sub-tier suppliers. What do we need to do to prepare for this act and other ESG laws and regulations? In this livestream-based crossover episode of Dial P for Procurement, Kelly Barner and Scott Luton welcome Constantine Limberakis, Senior Director of Global Product & Solutions Marketing at riskmethods, to discuss: • Who the Uyghurs are and why they and the autonomous region of Xinjiang are they being singled out for international oversight • What products and commodities are exported from this region, and how many industries and/or supply chains will be affected by the new law • The questions that remain open about how this law will be enforced and what the penalties will be for those who do not comply Additional Links & Resources: Learn more about Supply Chain Now:https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now ( https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now) Subscribe to Supply Chain Now and all other Supply Chain Now programs:https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe ( https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe) Leveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine: https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/ (https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/) WEBINAR- The 10 Best Competencies of Best in Class Warehouses: https://bit.ly/3vh3MLd (https://bit.ly/3vh3MLd) 2022 Q1 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index:https://bit.ly/3pwmWKC ( https://bit.ly/3pwmWKC) Check out the 2022 Supply Chain and Procurement Awards: https://supplychainprocurementawards.com/ (https://supplychainprocurementawards.com/) This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Kelly Barner. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/dial-p-crossover-uyghur-forced-labor-prevention-act-898

china ukraine government preparing prevention crossover senior director supply chains esg dial procurement xinjiang uyghur forced labor global product solutions marketing uyghur forced labor prevention act supply chain now kelly barner bank freight payment index

Two Minutes in Trade - Your New Forced Labor Pen Pal

trade two minutes cbp penpal forced labor uyghur forced labor prevention act

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2022 3:24

CBP has sent numerous importers letters notifying them that their merchandise soon may be subject to detention, seizure or penalties under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. While CBP urged these parties to conduct the appropriate due diligence, the notice may have left importers questioning how to best direct resources.

Preparing for the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and Regulations Featuring Constantine Limberakis with riskmethods

Dial P for Procurement

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2022 63:08

Governments and regulators across the globe are stepping up their oversight of corporate operations so they can drive more ethical and environmentally sustainable business practices. Each effort to uncover harmful and unethical business practices - such as environmental degradation, unfair or unsafe working conditions, and modern slavery – increases the challenge for procurement and supply chain professionals increases. One such example, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, takes effect on June 21, 2022. It states that all goods made in Xinjiang, China will be presumed to involve slave labor unless the company can prove otherwise. Like other ESG laws, the Uyghur FLPA will require companies to increase visibility into first-tier suppliers as well as sub-tier suppliers. What do we need to do to prepare for this act and other ESG laws and regulations? In this livestream-based episode of Dial P for Procurement, Kelly Barner and Scott Luton welcome Constantine Limberakis, Senior Director of Global Product & Solutions Marketing at riskmethods, to discuss: • Who the Uyghurs are and why they and the autonomous region of Xinjiang are they being singled out for international oversight • What products and commodities are exported from this region, and how many industries and/or supply chains will be affected by the new law • The questions that remain open about how this law will be enforced and what the penalties will be for those who do not comply Additional Links & Resources: Learn more about Dial P for Procurement: https://supplychainnow.com/programs/dial-p-for-procurement (https://supplychainnow.com/programs/dial-p-for-procurement) Subscribe to Dial P for Procurement: https://dial-p-for-procurement.captivate.fm/listen (https://dial-p-for-procurement.captivate.fm/listen) Riskmethod's Supply Chain Laws You Should Know: https://bit.ly/3vV6ipE (https://bit.ly/3vV6ipE) This episode was hosted by Kelly Barner and Scott Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/preparing-uyghur-forced-labor-prevention-act-riskmethods-dp23

china government preparing prevention senior director esg regulations procurement xinjiang uyghur forced labor global product solutions marketing uyghur forced labor prevention act kelly barner

Comply with the New York Fashion Act

Sourcing Journal Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2022 9:54

If one proposed piece of legislation passes, fashion brands could soon encounter a harsh reality that could cost millions if their supply chain isn't up to snuff. While brands have already had to wade through significant and often confusing legislative changes in 2022 via the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, they may need to freshen up on the terms of the recently introduced Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act, commonly referred to as the New York Fashion Act. Despite the locality its informal name implies, the bill carries vast global implications, Mark Burstein, executive vice president and industry principal at supply chain software provider Logility, explained in a conversation with Sourcing Journal founder Edward Hertzman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

comply new york fashion fashion sustainability uyghur forced labor prevention act sourcing journal logility

Episode #74 | America's New Law on Forced Labor in Xinjiang (Christine McDaniel and Weifeng Zhong)

Foreign Policy ProvCast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2022 27:20

Weifeng Zhong and Christine McDaniel of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University talk with Mark Melton about the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. They cover how forced labor in China works and how the world knows this is happening. Zhong and McDaniel also discuss potential difficulties with how the law might be implemented and the dilemmas the US government and various businesses will face. For example, there may be potential issues with the evidentiary process and interim products. Finally, Zhong describes how people in China view the problem of forced labor in their country.

america china george mason university mcdaniel xinjiang new law mercatus center forced labor zhong uyghur forced labor prevention act christine mcdaniel weifeng zhong

NEO420 Talks - OR gov criminal Jeff Merkley Olympics "not a propaganda tool". Yeah right...

NEO420's Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2022 6:48

PC has been naming names of criminals everywhere, including in Oregon. This podcast episode PC tells you what criminal Jeff Merkley said about the Olympics. Keep in mind, these criminals speak in deceptive lying ways saying one thing, meaning another. So, when we sent out an email with subject line "The Olympic Games are not a propaganda tool" it was obvious Jeff was trying to cover for the propaganda, that is the Olympics. Do Not be fooled by all these criminals in government either paid off, blackmailed, or useful idiots. They are confirmed "agents of the system" to keep WE THE PEOPLE chasing our tails instead of chasing them, the criminals!!! No more!!! That is why we at NEO420 Talks are "Speaking Truth against the lies" as we are not allowing the criminals to lie without calling their lie out, and Speaking Truth!!!Below is part of criminal Jeff email:"As you know, the 2022 Winter Olympics are kicking off today. Many of our finest athletes have traveled to China to represent the United States and compete for gold on the international stage. I will be cheering them on enthusiastically. However, we must also use the Games to draw attention to the ongoing human rights atrocities that continue to be perpetrated by an authoritarian regime." "I am proud to be a leader in the bipartisan efforts to hold the Chinese government accountable for their crimes. I helped lead the charge for a diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Games, and was grateful for President Biden's support; this was a critical step and strong sign of leadership on the issue of human rights. With momentum of the boycott, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, a bill I introduced and was signed into law late last year," "As Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), I have led the Commission's work to highlight China's grave human rights abuses ahead of the Olympics—chairing multiple hearings, pressuring corporate sponsors for action, and leading calls for a diplomatic boycott. At the CECC, we have spearheaded the #OlympicPrisoner project,"All my best,Jeff"Support the show (https://neo420.com/shop-cbd/donation/)

united states china olympic games games chinese joe biden oregon tool pc criminals commission propaganda winter olympics speaking truth we the people yeah right as chair jeff merkley uyghur forced labor prevention act congressional executive commission

Are We Consistent And Impartial In Our Political Positions?

The Church Politics Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2022 44:15

Justin and Chris discuss the impact of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and its potential impact on the supply chain. They also talk about the Freedom Convoy of truckers in Canada and dark money in politics. Show Notes: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/29/us/politics/democrats-dark-money-donors.amp.html?referringSource=articleShare Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

canada political consistent positions freedom convoy impartial uyghur forced labor prevention act

Daily News Brief for Monday, January 31st, 2022

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2022 5724:16

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tests positive for COVID-19 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/justin-trudeau-positive-covid-19/ Triple vaxxed, masks wearing, black face Trudeau test positive for COVID. In a tweet he released this morning blackface Trudeau said this: “This morning, I tested positive for COVID-19. I'm feeling fine – and I'll continue to work remotely this week while following public health guidelines. Everyone, please get vaccinated and get boosted.” You can't help those who actively want to remain stubborn and ignorant. Earlier today, my friend Alex Barendregt, was on the ground in Ottawa, and here is what he had to say about what happened this past weekend and what is going on this morning. Roll Clilp. Apple is lobbying against a bill aimed at stopping forced labor in China https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/11/20/apple-uighur/ According to WaPo: “Apple lobbyists are trying to weaken a bill aimed at preventing forced labor in China, according to two congressional staffers familiar with the matter, highlighting the clash between its business imperatives and its official stance on human rights. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act would require U.S. companies to guarantee they do not use imprisoned or coerced workers from the predominantly Muslim region of Xinjiang, where academic researchers estimate the Chinese government has placed more than 1 million people into internment camps. Apple is heavily dependent on Chinese manufacturing, and human rights reports have identified instances in which alleged forced Uighur labor has been used in Apple's supply chain. The staffers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks with the company took place in private meetings, said Apple was one of many U.S. companies that oppose the bill as it's written. They declined to disclose details on the specific provisions Apple was trying to knock down or change because they feared providing that knowledge would identify them to Apple. But they both characterized Apple's effort as an attempt to water down the bill.” Now there are a couple of things going on here. First you have anonymous sources here, two congressional staffers to be exact, and so it is hard to trust this information. Secondly, we do know that Apple, Nike, and various high profile American corporations are very dependent on China. For example: Apple's Tim Cook made secret deal with China worth $275B in 2016. According to Fox, “Apple received legal exemptions from regulatory action. In exchange, Apple agreed to a host of investments, including worker training, commitments to help Chinese manufacturers develop "the most advanced manufacturing technologies" and use Chinese-made components and other concessions meant to appease local authorities.” Pregnant man, pregnant person emoji coming to Apple iPhones https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/pregnant-man-emoji-apple According to Fox: “A "pregnant man" emoji and "pregnant person" emoji are coming to Apple iPhones with its latest update, iOS 15.4 sparking controversy. “ This should not be a controversy, I mean at all. It should get a horse laugh and that is it. Remind you that these are the people who are also defining what misinformation is and who should get canceled. Hilarious. Speaking of cancel culture. I don't think Bruce Springsteen is born in the USA anymore or at least his guitarist: Guitar Success4U DNB: Have you always wanted to play guitar but didn't know where to start? Learning to play the guitar can be a lonely, confusing and pricey experience, but it doesn't have to be that way. GuitarSuccess4U is a unique, online monthly membership, that has community, a clear path to success, and it's super affordable. Founded by fellow Cross Politic listeners David and Whitney Harsh, GuitarSuccess4U is designed for beginning and returning guitarists who want to understand and enjoy making music. David has toured nationally as an award-winning Christian artist, worship leader and guitar workshop clinician for the last 20 years, and through his decades of experience, he has discovered a new way to help you unlock the guitar. When you join this membership, you can learn at your own pace, from home, alongside a community of guitarists including worship leaders, hobbyists, retirees, stay-at-home moms, and more. Through video lessons and worksheets, David will take you step-by-step towards becoming the musician you were made to be. GuitarSuccess4U is only $29 a month – that's less than a dollar a day, and a fraction of the cost of guitar lessons! As this New Year begins, and you're thinking about how to bring value and joy to your life, consider this opportunity. Learn more and join now at GuitarSuccess4U.com. That's "Guitar Success", the number "4" and the letter "U", dot com. Join today and get 5 instant bonuses to help accelerate your progress! Head on over to GuitarSuccess4U.com to start your guitar journey. That's "Guitar Success", the number "4" and the letter "U", dot com. Bruce Springsteen guitarist joins Spotify boycott over COVID-19 misinformation https://thehill.com/homenews/media/592020-bruce-springsteen-guitarist-joins-spotify-boycott-over-covid-19-misinformation According to the Hill: “Rock of Roll Hall of Famer Nils Lofgren, a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, has joined fellow musicians Joni Mitchell and Neil Young in their boycott of Spotify over COVID1-9 misinformation on its podcasts. In a statement, Lofgren, along with his wife Amy, urged other musicians to join the boycott in order to stand with health care professionals, scientists and doctors in calling out the streaming platform for spreading false information about COVID-19. “Music is our planet's sacred weapon, uniting and healing billions of souls every day. Pick up your sword and start swinging! Neil always has. Stand with him, us (Joni Mitchell!), and others,” Lofgren said in a statement.” Here is what Joe Rogan had to say about the Spotify attempted lynching: https://www.facebook.com/JOEROGAN/videos/1147721322431571/ (From start to the 2:29mark) Follow the show notes and you can watch Joe's whole statement. Closing This is Gabriel Rench with Crosspolitic News. Support Rowdy Christian media by joining our club at fightlaughfeast.com, downloading our App, and head to our annual Fight Laugh Feast Events. With your partnership, together we will fight outdated and compromised media, engage news and politics with the gospel, and replace lies and darkness with truth and light. Go to fightlaughfeast.com to take all these actions. Have a great day. Lord bless

Daily News Brief for Monday, January 31st, 2022

russia ukraine nord stream lightning round commerce department ofac stravaganza uyghur forced labor prevention act embargoed

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2022 17:32

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tests positive for COVID-19 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/justin-trudeau-positive-covid-19/ Triple vaxxed, masks wearing, black face Trudeau test positive for COVID. In a tweet he released this morning blackface Trudeau said this: “This morning, I tested positive for COVID-19. I'm feeling fine – and I'll continue to work remotely this week while following public health guidelines. Everyone, please get vaccinated and get boosted.” You can't help those who actively want to remain stubborn and ignorant. Earlier today, my friend Alex Barendregt, was on the ground in Ottawa, and here is what he had to say about what happened this past weekend and what is going on this morning. Roll Clilp. Apple is lobbying against a bill aimed at stopping forced labor in China https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/11/20/apple-uighur/ According to WaPo: “Apple lobbyists are trying to weaken a bill aimed at preventing forced labor in China, according to two congressional staffers familiar with the matter, highlighting the clash between its business imperatives and its official stance on human rights. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act would require U.S. companies to guarantee they do not use imprisoned or coerced workers from the predominantly Muslim region of Xinjiang, where academic researchers estimate the Chinese government has placed more than 1 million people into internment camps. Apple is heavily dependent on Chinese manufacturing, and human rights reports have identified instances in which alleged forced Uighur labor has been used in Apple's supply chain. The staffers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks with the company took place in private meetings, said Apple was one of many U.S. companies that oppose the bill as it's written. They declined to disclose details on the specific provisions Apple was trying to knock down or change because they feared providing that knowledge would identify them to Apple. But they both characterized Apple's effort as an attempt to water down the bill.” Now there are a couple of things going on here. First you have anonymous sources here, two congressional staffers to be exact, and so it is hard to trust this information. Secondly, we do know that Apple, Nike, and various high profile American corporations are very dependent on China. For example: Apple's Tim Cook made secret deal with China worth $275B in 2016. According to Fox, “Apple received legal exemptions from regulatory action. In exchange, Apple agreed to a host of investments, including worker training, commitments to help Chinese manufacturers develop "the most advanced manufacturing technologies" and use Chinese-made components and other concessions meant to appease local authorities.” Pregnant man, pregnant person emoji coming to Apple iPhones https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/pregnant-man-emoji-apple According to Fox: “A "pregnant man" emoji and "pregnant person" emoji are coming to Apple iPhones with its latest update, iOS 15.4 sparking controversy. “ This should not be a controversy, I mean at all. It should get a horse laugh and that is it. Remind you that these are the people who are also defining what misinformation is and who should get canceled. Hilarious. Speaking of cancel culture. I don't think Bruce Springsteen is born in the USA anymore or at least his guitarist: Guitar Success4U DNB: Have you always wanted to play guitar but didn't know where to start? Learning to play the guitar can be a lonely, confusing and pricey experience, but it doesn't have to be that way. GuitarSuccess4U is a unique, online monthly membership, that has community, a clear path to success, and it's super affordable. Founded by fellow Cross Politic listeners David and Whitney Harsh, GuitarSuccess4U is designed for beginning and returning guitarists who want to understand and enjoy making music. David has toured nationally as an award-winning Christian artist, worship leader and guitar workshop clinician for the last 20 years, and through his decades of experience, he has discovered a new way to help you unlock the guitar. When you join this membership, you can learn at your own pace, from home, alongside a community of guitarists including worship leaders, hobbyists, retirees, stay-at-home moms, and more. Through video lessons and worksheets, David will take you step-by-step towards becoming the musician you were made to be. GuitarSuccess4U is only $29 a month – that's less than a dollar a day, and a fraction of the cost of guitar lessons! As this New Year begins, and you're thinking about how to bring value and joy to your life, consider this opportunity. Learn more and join now at GuitarSuccess4U.com. That's "Guitar Success", the number "4" and the letter "U", dot com. Join today and get 5 instant bonuses to help accelerate your progress! Head on over to GuitarSuccess4U.com to start your guitar journey. That's "Guitar Success", the number "4" and the letter "U", dot com. Bruce Springsteen guitarist joins Spotify boycott over COVID-19 misinformation https://thehill.com/homenews/media/592020-bruce-springsteen-guitarist-joins-spotify-boycott-over-covid-19-misinformation According to the Hill: “Rock of Roll Hall of Famer Nils Lofgren, a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, has joined fellow musicians Joni Mitchell and Neil Young in their boycott of Spotify over COVID1-9 misinformation on its podcasts. In a statement, Lofgren, along with his wife Amy, urged other musicians to join the boycott in order to stand with health care professionals, scientists and doctors in calling out the streaming platform for spreading false information about COVID-19. “Music is our planet's sacred weapon, uniting and healing billions of souls every day. Pick up your sword and start swinging! Neil always has. Stand with him, us (Joni Mitchell!), and others,” Lofgren said in a statement.” Here is what Joe Rogan had to say about the Spotify attempted lynching: https://www.facebook.com/JOEROGAN/videos/1147721322431571/ (From start to the 2:29mark) Follow the show notes and you can watch Joe's whole statement. Closing This is Gabriel Rench with Crosspolitic News. Support Rowdy Christian media by joining our club at fightlaughfeast.com, downloading our App, and head to our annual Fight Laugh Feast Events. With your partnership, together we will fight outdated and compromised media, engage news and politics with the gospel, and replace lies and darkness with truth and light. Go to fightlaughfeast.com to take all these actions. Have a great day. Lord bless

Human Rights Transparency and Risk Resilience in Supply Chains: MLK Special Release with Justin Dillon of FRDM

Supply Chain Revolution

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2022 23:42

While environmental sustainability goals have become a high priority for consumers and businesses with a global call to action on climate change, other ESG issues haven't gotten as much attention. For many organizations advocating for human rights in the supply chain is a material priority, and one of the most pressing issues involves ensuring there is no forced labor and child labor in supply chains. But how do you know? -In its 2016 study, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that 40.3 million people worldwide were victims of modern slavery at any given time, 25 million of whom were in forced labor. -To narrow the focus further, an estimated 16 million people were exploited in the private sector. A few years earlier, in 2014, the ILO estimated that forced labor generated annual profits estimated at USD 150 billion. -Women and girls are disproportionately affected, accounting for 71% of those affected by modern slavery. Children represent one-quarter of the total number of victims. President Biden on Dec 23, 2021 signed into law the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, a bipartisan bill that bans imports from China's Xinjiang region unless the importer can prove they were not made with forced labor. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-uyghur-labor-law/2021/12/23/99e8d048-6412-11ec-a7e8-3a8455b71fad_story.html In Episode 68, Justin Dillon, CEO of FRDM shares that, “The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us how broken and opaque supply chains truly are. Supply chain operations and oversight has lagged far behind the innovation curve. Companies today are expected to solve bigger and deeper problems in their supply chains, such as environmental and human rights risks.” ➡️ I am proud to have Justin back as a retuning guest on MLK day to kick off 2022 and to help organizations ensure human rights are protected across global networks by: – Understanding and mapping your network -Organizing your company's supplier and spend data – Creating a predictive bill of materials for everything you buy and applying estimates about environmental, social and business continuity risks – Helping you engage with suppliers, using its toolkit to reduce risk and increase your resilience – Producing helpful reports for your team, stakeholders and regulators – Helping you track improvements to your supply chain and constantly improving your resilience FRDM is the next wave in predictive and proactive ESG risk resilience to realize sustainable outcomes. Organizations that lead on sustainability and impact do not approach them as secondary objectives. They integrate the related objectives into their core motivation, radically altering the corporate equation for success. Companies face numerous barriers to addressing modern slavery, but technology can be an enabler for change. Modernizing the supply chain for greater transparency can create a more visibility and equity for all. FREE WHITE PAPER ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eEr_hWv7 Learn more FRDM and Justin here - FRDM.co

Why Did Coke, Nike, and Apple Oppose the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act?

Surviving Tomorrow

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2022 8:40

Coca-Cola is bad AF.Not only are they a giant sugar monopoly that has devoured over 400 of their competitors, but they're partly responsible for hundreds of millions of cases of diabetes around the globe in their 135-year history.When I visited North Korea, I only saw two Western brands — BMW, and Coca-Cola.Last week, the Senate passed a bill called the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.Unanimously.(That's a gigantic deal in America.)For those unaware of the situation, Ch!na has been genociding a people group in a western province called Xinjiang. While several million Uyghurs have already been sent to concentration camps or placed under Orwellian surveillance, we have no idea how bad things could ultimately get. Looking back fifty years from now, it may very well be our generation's Rwanda or even a Holocaust-level ethnocide.Despite Republicans and Democrats all agreeing to ban imported products from the region, Coca-cola, Nike, and Apple decided to lobby against the bill.………We need to have a conversation about corporations.Implausible deniabilityThe reason that Coke, Apple, Nike, and others oppose the bill is that they all source products from the area. They say the protections are “too broad” and might slow or halt their ability to turn a profit off the backs of cheap overseas labor. (Okay, they didn't say that last bit out loud, but we all know that's exactly why they make shoes in Asia and not Connecticut.)Nike, of course, denies that they use Uyghur slave labor, but this is a rotten company that's been saying this for four decades while regularly getting busted for using sweatshops, child labor, inhumane conditions, extremely underpaid workers, environmental poisoning, abusing women, and other human rights abuses. (TLDR: Don't buy Nike products, ever.)If Nike isn't involved in any abusive behaviors, it really makes you wonder why “A factory in eastern Ch!na that manufactures shoes for U.S. company Nike is equipped with watchtowers, barbed-wire fences, and police guard boxes.”And this is just one company at the tip of the iceberg.Abuse for everyone“We have found no evidence of any forced labour on Apple production lines and we plan to continue monitoring.” — Apple PR (Spoiler alert: There is evidence.)At least 82 companies have been implicated in using Uyghur slave labor, including Apple, Google, BMW, GM, Mercedes, Gap, Huawei, Nike, Samsung, Sony, Microsoft, Adidas, Abercrombie & Fitch, Calvin Klein, Lacoste, HP, Land Rover, Nintendo, Oculus, Victoria's Secret, and Volkswagen.After being busted for using Uyghur labor, Nike posted a statement on their website swearing they no longer rent slaves, but a follow-up investigation by the Washington Post showed it simply wasn't true.This is problem #1 for multinational corporations:They cannot be trusted.Every corporation's sole legal reason for existing is to extract wealth from the planet, workers, and consumers, in order to return profits to private shareholders. How could we possibly trust their word when they say they're doing no harm?Worse still, even the “best” and most “ethical” multinationals have supply chains that are so complex that they often don't even know they have abusive practices in their supply chain… and their incentive is to keep it that way.Just look how easy it is to look the other way and profit from the abuse of human beings:Vile, right?Do you know who doesn't have any slave-related sourcing worries?The local organic farmer's market where I buy my vegetables. I can literally see the field behind the cash register.When businesses are local, you don't need to trust them — you can just verify with your own eyes.Guilty until proven innocentPeople are innocent until proven guilty.But if your legal fiduciary reason for existing is to create private profits for private shareholders, then the public has the right to declare corporations guilty until proven innocent.We don't want to trust corporations.We want to verify them.How? Make them monitor every step of the production process with real-time video feeds, from soil to sale counter.Too expensive or unwieldy? Then maybe it's time to shut it down and let local producers create products without widespread abuse.No company should be able to turn a cent of profit until they fulfill humanity's fiduciary obligation:To do no harm.Better safe than sufferingIt doesn't matter that three-trillion-dollar companies like Apple think the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act is “too broad” for their liking.Their private profits don't matter more than human lives.Ch!na is a nation rife with human rights abuses and Xinjiang province is specifically known for its widespread exploitation of our precious brothers and sisters.If temporarily black-balling an entire foreign province is what it takes to wake up American corporations (and the CCP) to the fact that we're done with slavery, so be it.Plus, it's better to be safe than allow suffering. (No one needs Nikes anyway.)Imagine if your son or daughter or brother or sister or spouse was trapped in that region. Would you say, “Well hey, we can't possibly risk corporate shareholders losing a dime per shoe by moving production to a verified facility in, say, France or Kentucky. Better keep things humming in Xinjiang and hope for the best.”No.You'd want your government to make a strong statement that American citizens refuse to enjoy products made in any place where the slightest possibility of slavery exists.People are worth any amount of sacrifice.Corporations on noticeFriends:Please stop buying slave-made goods, and please stop voting for corporate-captured parties and their corporate-captured politicians. Buy local, buy verified, start new parties, support new candidates.This is our country.This is our world.Corporations: you are temporary guests that play by our rules and live and die by our will.Enough is enough.We're done with slavery.And if your company is not, then we're done with you.There's the old saying, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his own soul?”That's the biggest problem with corporations.They aren't humans.And they certainly don't care about our souls.*This article was written on a seven-year-old Macbook Air that was purposefully purchased used so as not to create first-order demand for slave-made products. The author also does not own a cell phone of any kind and does not buy Nike products. He does own a used Volkswagen, but does not own products from any of the other brands listed, including using DuckDuckGo instead of Google. Get full access to Surviving Tomorrow at www.surviving-tomorrow.com/subscribe

Russia-stravaganza! | EMBARGOED! Episode 42

EMBARGOED!

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2022 68:10

Brian and Tim kick off 2022 by diving deep on Russia and the crisis brewing at Ukraine's border. They discuss the "punishing" sanctions that could be coming if Russia invades Ukraine, Nord Stream 2 (of course), and what companies should be doing right now to prepare for the worst and mitigate risk. In the Lightning Round, Brian and Tim share quick thoughts on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, new Commerce Department appointments, and OFAC's recent enforcement action against Airbnb Payments. ******** Questions? Contact us at podcasts@milchev.com. EMBARGOED! is not intended and cannot be relied on as legal advice; the content only reflects the thoughts and opinions of its hosts. EMBARGOED! is intelligent talk about sanctions, export controls, and all things international trade for trade nerds and normal human beings alike, hosted by Miller & Chevalier Members Brian Fleming and Tim O'Toole. Each episode will feature deep thoughts and hot takes about the latest headline-grabbing developments in this area of the law, as well as some below-the-radar items to keep an eye on. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for new bi-weekly episodes so you don't miss out! Roadmap: Introduction The Rundown: RUSSIA! Lightning Round Enactment of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act New Commerce Department Appointments Take Their Posts OFAC Settlement with Airbnb Final Thoughts ***Stay sanctions free.***

Two Minutes in Trade - The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act becomes Law

law trade prevention uyghur two minutes forced labor uyghur forced labor prevention act

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2021 3:08

Now that The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act becomes Law what happens from here. For more information listen to to today's Two Minutes in Trade.

劉必榮教授一周國際新聞評論 2021.12.28

Dr.Liu國際新聞摘要分析

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2021 12:06

#中東情勢 12/23美國CNN電視台獨家報導美國情報單位的兩張衛星照片，照片中清楚顯示沙烏地阿拉伯正在全力製造飛彈導彈系統，此新聞一出，對中東情勢造成一連串的漣漪效應… #拜登簽署新法案 12/23美國總統拜登簽署《維吾爾強迫勞動預防法案》（The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act），也就是若在新疆強迫維吾爾人所生產的東西，將在國際上加以制裁，美國將禁止從新疆進口產品… #韓國情勢 12/24韓國總統文在寅宣布特赦前總統朴槿惠，她當總統的時期因設涉及閨密門事件被判刑20年，若再加上賄選案的刑期共22年。朴槿惠今年69歲，文在寅表示，朴槿惠年事已高，身體狀況欠佳且動過手術，因此宣布特赦… #緬甸情勢 12/25緬甸一些反對團體發現政府軍攻擊了位於緬甸東南部克耶邦的村莊，包括老弱婦孺30多人遭到殘忍屠殺，造成國際嘩然，要求緬甸政府必須深入調查並給予交代… Himalaya：www.himalaya.com/drliu 劉必榮教授和風談判學院：negotiation.eletang.com.tw

cnn himalaya uyghur forced labor prevention act

劉必榮教授一周國際新聞評論 2021.12.28

Dr.Liu國際新聞摘要分析

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2021 12:06

#中東情勢 12/23美國CNN電視台獨家報導美國情報單位的兩張衛星照片，照片中清楚顯示沙烏地阿拉伯正在全力製造飛彈導彈系統，此新聞一出，對中東情勢造成一連串的漣漪效應… #拜登簽署新法案 12/23美國總統拜登簽署《維吾爾強迫勞動預防法案》（The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act），也就是若在新疆強迫維吾爾人所生產的東西，將在國際上加以制裁，美國將禁止從新疆進口產品… #韓國情勢 12/24韓國總統文在寅宣布特赦前總統朴槿惠，她當總統的時期因設涉及閨密門事件被判刑20年，若再加上賄選案的刑期共22年。朴槿惠今年69歲，文在寅表示，朴槿惠年事已高，身體狀況欠佳且動過手術，因此宣布特赦… #緬甸情勢 12/25緬甸一些反對團體發現政府軍攻擊了位於緬甸東南部克耶邦的村莊，包括老弱婦孺30多人遭到殘忍屠殺，造成國際嘩然，要求緬甸政府必須深入調查並給予交代… Himalaya：www.himalaya.com/drliu 劉必榮教授和風談判學院：negotiation.eletang.com.tw

cnn himalaya uyghur forced labor prevention act

拜登簽署法案禁新疆強迫勞動產品進美國 | 大紀元 | 大纪元

大紀元新聞

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2021 5:08

美國總統拜登週四（12月23日）簽署了一項《防止強迫維吾爾人勞動法》（The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act），法案正式生效。新法律禁止中國新疆的任何強迫勞動生產的產品進入美國市場。更多內容請見：https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/21/12/23/n13456047.htm 大纪元,大纪元新闻,大紀元,大紀元新聞,中共侵犯新疆人權, 防止強迫維吾爾人勞動法, 新疆政策, 新疆強制勞動, 新疆棉 Support this podcast

uyghur forced labor prevention act

12.24.21: Gordon Chang Interview

O'Connor & Company

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2021 7:09

Gordon Chang, China expert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute, author of "The Great U.S.-China Tech War", joined WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" radio program on Friday about President Biden signing he Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act into law and explained how China's military is developing brain-control weaponry. https://twitter.com/GordonGChang For more coverage on the issues that matter to you, visit www.WMAL.com, download the WMAL app or tune in live on WMAL-FM 105.9 FM from 5-9 AM ET. To join the conversation, check us out on Twitter: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor and @amber_athey. Show website: https://www.wmal.com/oconnor-company/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

china joe biden gordon chang distinguished senior fellow wmal uyghur forced labor prevention act gatestone institute china tech war great u

China firmly rejects U.S. signing of so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act"

Headline News

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2021 4:45

China says it firmly rejects the U.S. signing of the so-called "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act" into law. The foreign ministry says the act denigrates the human rights situation in Xinjiang in disregard of facts and truth.

china prevention signing rejects xinjiang uyghur forced labor uyghur forced labor prevention act

Daily News Brief for Friday, December 17, 2021

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2021 4511:09

Trans revolution calls for communist revolution … and more on today's CrossPolitic Daily News Brief. This is Toby Sumpter. Today is Tuesday, December 14, 2021. Find all our shows at Crosspolitic.com and download the Fight Laugh Feast App at your favorite app store so you don't miss anything. And if you're not yet a Fight Laugh Feast Club Member, let me just encourage you to consider it today. We are seeking to build a Rowdy Christian Network -- news, sports, talk shows, even sitcoms that celebrate the good life and give liberals the proverbial whim-whams. If you'd like to help us do that, join the club. We love our sponsors, but the heartbeat of CrossPolitic is individual members supporting the work. Join today. Transgender Activists Discuss Their Work as Part of a new Communist Revolution Kay Gabriel, faculty member at New York University, asserts that trans activism is part of a larger effort to bring about a “Communist Revolution”. Play Audio Idaho Family Policy Center I wanted to let you all know about Idaho Family Policy Center. IFPC is currently the only explicitly Christian policy organization in Idaho politics. I serve on the board, and the president is Blaine Conzatti, a member of our sister CREC church, Kings Congregation down in Meridian. Blaine and IFPC have been leading the efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, end abortion in Idaho, and protect children from the transgender agenda. Basically, Blaine is a really strategic voice in Idaho politics, and he represents many of our biblical and constitutional concerns in Boise. IFPC is a brand new ministry and as such is in significant need of donations to help fund it. I know we all have many commitments to other good ministries, but if you are particularly concerned about Idaho politics, this is one way you can have a very direct impact. Go to www.idahofamily.org to learn more and make a donation. Senate Unanimously Passes Uyghur Forced Labor Bill https://dailycaller.com/2021/12/16/senate-passes-uyghur-forced-labor-bill-marco-rubio/ After a series of false starts and delays, the Senate passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act by voice vote Thursday. The bill, sponsored by Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, targets slave labor in Xinjiang and surrounding provinces, where China is conducting a genocide of the Uyghur people. It passedthe House by voice vote Tuesday and is expected to be signed into law by President Joe Biden. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act creates a “rebuttable presumption” that goods produced in Xinjiang or by certain listed Chinese business entities are produced by the forced labor of Uyghurs or other ethnic minorities. Companies may continue to import products from Xinjiang if they provide “clear and convincing evidence” to the Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection that their supply chains do not include forced labor. The bill's passage unlocks three votes to confirm Biden nominees to key State Department positions. Rubio and Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy agreed that the Republican would drop his objections to Nicholas Burns, nominated to be Ambassador to China, Ramin Toloui, nominated to be Assistant Secretary of State, and Rashad Hussain, nominated to be Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, in exchange for Murphy's lack of objection to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Glenn Loury Says America is Not White Supremacist Play audio: 0:00-1:02 Why are people flocking here from all over the world? Because it's so oppressive and white supremacist? Supreme Court Sends Texas Heartbeat Law Back to Appeals Court A U.S. Supreme Court decision Thursday dealt another blow to the Texas abortion industry by sending its lawsuit against the state heartbeat law back to a federal appeals court that previously allowed the legislation to go into effect. The Associated Press reports the pro-abortion groups suing to overturn the pro-life law wanted the justices to send their lawsuit back to U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman, who blocked the law in October. On Thursday, however, Justice Neil Gorsuch signed an order sending the case to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals instead, according to the report. Back in October, the Fifth Circuit rejected Pitman's ruling just a few days after he issued it and allowed the law to go into effect again. Pro-life leaders estimate that the heartbeat law, which bans abortions once an unborn baby's heartbeat is detectable, about six weeks of pregnancy, has saved thousands of babies' lives since it went into effect Sept. 1. The law includes a unique private enforcement mechanism that allows private individuals to sue abortionists and those who “aid and abet” in abortions in violation of the law. It is this provision that has been the main focus of the legal dispute thus far. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court threw out a lawsuit from President Joe Biden and rejected the Texas pro-abortion groups' request to temporarily block the law while their legal challenge continues through the courts. While the high court ruled that the Texas abortion businesses may continue with their lawsuit, it also watered down their case by allowing them to sue state licensing officials but not the state judges and clerks who are charged with handling lawsuits spurred by the law. Now, the Supreme Court is sending the case back to the Fifth Circuit for consideration, and abortion activists are losing hope — good news for the future of unborn babies in Texas. “The Supreme Court left only a small sliver of our case intact, and it's clear that this part of the case will not block vigilante lawsuits from being filed,” Marc Hearron, a lawyer with the Center for Reproductive Rights, told the AP. “It's also clear that Texas is determined to stop the plaintiffs from getting any relief in even the sliver of the case that is left.” Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California Berkeley School of Law, said he also was “stunned” that the Supreme Court allowed the law to remain in effect even though it violates Roe v. Wade. “The court's refusal to block the blatantly unconstitutional Texas law is also a strong signal that it is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade,” Chemerinsky wrote this week at the Los Angeles Times. Texas abortion businesses are admitting a likely defeat as well. They essentially have no way to stop Texas citizens and pro-life groups from filing lawsuits against them, abortionists and abortion center staff who help abort unborn babies in violation the law. And if the law remains in effect much longer, many Texas abortion businesses may close. According to the Texas Tribune: Amy Hagstrom Miller, president of Whole Woman's Health, which operates four clinics in Texas and is the lead plaintiff in the providers' lawsuit, warned last week that the current volume of services is not enough to keep clinics open in the long term. “Staying open is not sustainable if this ban stays in effect much longer,” Hagstrom Miller said. “We are grateful for the donors and foundations and folks who have been supporting us in the interim … but the future looks bleak if we can't get some justice here.” Ultimately, the abortion businesses' legal challenge appears to be “doomed,” the report concluded. And that's great news for unborn babies. A new study found that, in just the first month of the law, abortions in Texas went down 50 percent. Since then, Texas abortion facility directors have reported even bigger drops in their abortion numbers, as high as 80 percent compared to the previous year, according to the Texas Tribune. The heartbeat law has the potential to save tens of thousands of unborn babies from abortion every year. In 2020, about 54,000 unborn babies were aborted in Texas, and about 85 percent happened after six weeks of pregnancy, according to state health statistics. Remaining missionaries kidnapped in Haiti by gang released https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/remaining-missionaries-kidnapped-haiti-gang-released-rcna9010?fbclid=IwAR0acBi61sVy19OtPu-G_kaiJdEj84zWLnILglQvByTNWRW3jF6WHLgd1kw A Haitian gang has released the remaining 12 hostages they had abducted — more than two months after their kidnapping, the Ohio-based religious group they work with announced Thursday. "We glorify God for answered prayer—the remaining twelve hostages are FREE! Join us in praising God that all seventeen of our loved ones are now safe," said a statement from Christian Aid Ministries. "Thank you for your fervent prayers throughout the past two months. We hope to provide more information as we are able." Haiti National Police Spokesman Gary Desrosiers also confirmed to NBC News that the hostages had been found safe, but would not say where they had been taken. Seventeen people working with the group were kidnapped in October by the 400 Mawozo gang, which controls the Ganthier commune in the suburb of Port-au-Prince where the missionaries were taken. Christian Aid Ministries had previously said that those who were kidnapped were sixteen U.S citizens and one Canadian citizen — six men, six women, and five children. The missionaries were returning from an orphanage, an hour and a half from Christian Aid Ministries Haiti base and often visited by their staff, when they were taken. The group, based in Millersburg, Ohio, repeatedly called for supporters to fast and pray for the safe release of the hostages, at one point earlier this month encouraging Christians to fast for three days. In November, two of the missionaries were released, and another three were freed earlier this month Fight Laugh Feast Magazine DNB Our Fight Laugh Feast Magazine is a quarterly issue that packs a punch like a 21 year Balvenie, no ice. We don't water down our theology, why would we water down our scotch? Order a yearly subscription for yourself and then send a couple yearly subscriptions to your friends who have been drinking luke-warm evangelical cool-aid. Every quarter we promise quality food for the soul, wine for the heart, and some Red Bull for turning over tables. Our magazine will include cultural commentary, a Psalm of the quarter, recipes for feasting, laughter sprinkled through out the glossy pages, and more. Two major airline CEOs question effectiveness of mask mandates on planes https://nypost.com/2021/12/16/two-airline-ceos-question-need-for-mask-mandates-on-planes/ The chief executive officers of two major airlines have questioned the need for mask mandates on planes — insisting that face coverings “don't add much” to the safety of flying amid the pandemic. CEO of Southwest Airlines, Gary Kelly, Play Audio “I concur,” Doug Parker, the head of the country's largest airline, American Airlines, added. “An aircraft is the safest place you can be. It's true of all of our aircraft — they all have the same HEPA filters and airflow.” Both airline chiefs insisted that the high-quality air filters on their planes bring in new air and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Psalm of the Day: Mozart's Magnificat Play: 0:00-1:18 Magnificat: My soul magnifies the Lord! My spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done great things; and holy is His name. Amen! Remember you can always find the links to our news stories and these psalms at crosspolitic dot com – just click on the daily news brief and follow the links. This is Toby Sumpter with Crosspolitic News. A reminder: Support Rowdy Christian media, and share this show or become a Fight Laugh Feast Club Member. For a limited time, we're offering a Christmas Man Box for new subscribers at the Silver level and above, and if you're already a club member, you can purchase the CrossPolitic Christmas Man Box for just $50 while supplies last. Remember if you didn't make it to the Fight Laugh Feast Conferences, club members have access to all the talks from Douglas Wilson, Joe Boot, Jeff Durbin, Glenn Sunshine, Nate Wilson, David Bahnsen, Voddie Baucham, Ben Merkle, and many more. Join today and have a great day.

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US Congress passes Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act

Business Matters

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2021 53:22

The US Congress has passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which forces importers of goods or ingredients made in Xinjiang to prove that coerced workers weren't involved in the manufacturing process. We get analysis from Isaac Stone Fish, CEO at Strategy Risks in Washington DC. Plus, we meet some of those affected by rising prices in Turkey as interest rates are cut again; the BBC's Victoria Craig is in Istanbul, and reports on the country's unorthodox approach to monetary policy. Also in the programme, meat products like corned beef and beef jerky are popular in many parts of the world- and a lot of them come from Brazil. Concerns have been voiced for years about the scale of cattle-rearing for meat production on land that's been illegally cleared in the Amazon rainforest. Now, several large European supermarket chains have said they will stop selling any beef products from Brazil. We hear from Dr Ane Alencar, from the Amazonian Environmental Research Institute in Brazil. And entertainment journalist, Caroline Frost, tells us about a new golden age for television production in the UK, powered by the huge budgets of the streaming services. Plus, we're joined throughout the programme by Takara Small, a tech reporter and podcast host in Toronto. And Timothy Martin, Korea Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal joins us from Seoul. (Image of US Congress, Image via Getty Images).

Daily News Brief for Friday, December 17, 2021