US holds Chinese goods, cites possible North Korean labor

BEIJING (AP) — The U.S. customs agency says it is holding imported goods from Chinese sports brand Li Ning after an investigation indicated they were made by North Korean labor. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it acted under a law prohibiting imports of goods made in North Korea or by North Korean citizens without proof they weren’t made by forced labor. The agency said the merchandise will be forfeited if the company cannot provide “clear and convincing evidence” it wasn’t made by convict, forced or indentured labor. Li Ning Co. also is among a group of Chinese and foreign shoe and clothing brands caught up in controversy over using materials and labor from China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang.