China has pared back monthly exports data from controversial Xinjiang region which is accused of using forced labor in its cotton industry. The move in scrubbing data has come months after the US slapped ban on Xinjiang’s cotton shipment over forced labor concerns.
After this move, it is being said that it will become difficult to track trade from the region.
According to a report of Nikkei Asia, Far-western Xinjiang – where China stands accused of committing widespread human rights violations against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities – is a hub for agricultural staples and raw materials. It is also the country’s top cotton producer.
The Chinese government published detailed monthly trade data until August ’22 that included value-wise and volume-wise shipment from Xinjiang region with product descriptions and destination countries providing a clear snapshot of where products would be shipped to.
Similar specifics about imports into Xinjiang were also made public till August this year.
As far as shipment to the US is concerned, the export values touched US $ 56 million, noting a whopping a 592 per cent surge on Y-o-Y basis. However, the comprehensive export figures have not been published in subsequent months – September, October, and November.
Data published in September-November period now only reveals total value and forms of shipments, types of trade and whether the companies involved are foreign, state-owned or private.
The removal of the data comes after US customs in June began enforcing the blockade on shipments from the region. The law was passed unanimously by the US Congress a year earlier and the measure will last for eight years.
