Sanctions against Central Romana over allegations of forced labor

It should be noted that this issue of global relevance, allegations of forced labor experienced by migrant workers, arises in many contexts, including the Dominican Republic, as seen in the box below.

"WASHINGTON - Beginning on November 23, 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel will detain at all U.S. ports of entry raw sugar and sugar-based products produced in the Dominican Republic by Central Romana Corporation Limited (Central Romana). CBP issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) against Central Romana based on information that reasonably indicates the use of forced labor in its operations. CBP identified 5 of the 11 International Labour Organization forced labor indicators during its investigation: abuse of vulnerability, isolation, withholding of wages, abusive working and living conditions, and excessive overtime.

"This Withhold Release Order demonstrates U.S. Customs and Border Protection's commitment to protecting human rights and international labor standards and promoting a fair and competitive global marketplace," said Troy Miller, CBP's acting commissioner. "The agency will continue to set a high global standard by aggressively investigating forced labor allegations in U.S. supply chains and keeping tainted merchandise out of the United States."