On July 27, 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the Hoshine Silicon Industry Co. Withhold Release Order (WRO). The WRO applies to “silica-based products made by Hoshine and its subsidiaries as well as to materials and final goods derived from or produced using those silica-based products, regardless of where the materials and final goods are produced.”
The FAQs cite the following examples of affected products:
- Component materials such as silicon;
- Intermediate goods such as semiconductor devices; and
- Finished goods such as solar panels.
The WRO was announced in a press release on June 24, 2021, and CBP began detaining these products at all U.S. ports of entry at that time.
The FAQs address the scope of the WRO, proof of admissibility, as well as details on the forced labor indicators leading to the WRO. They can be found here:
The original press release can be found here:
CBP’s Withhold Release Orders can be found here:
https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/forced-labor/withhold-release-orders-and-findings
