The Trump administration said the United States will block imports from BGI Group and two affiliated biotechnology companies over alleged connections to forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is set to bar goods from BGI Group, BGI Genomics and MGI Tech starting Thursday.
The Department of Homeland Security said the companies either obtain materials from Xinjiang or work with the regional government in activities involving the recruitment, transport, transfer, harboring or receipt of forced labor among persecuted ethnic groups, including Uyghurs. The allegations place a major genetic-sequencing supplier at the center of a new trade and technology dispute between Washington and Beijing.
A biotechnology company under scrutiny
BGI Group is known for its genetic-sequencing technologies and is based in Shenzhen. DHS said BGI Group holds controlling stakes in BGI Genomics and MGI Tech, extending the action beyond the parent company. The companies’ inclusion on a U.S. trade blacklist will restrict the entry of their goods into the country, according to the administration’s announcement.
BGI rejected the allegations. In a statement, the company said:
“has not engaged in any form of forced labor.”
BGI added that it “firmly oppose[s] all forms of forced labor.” The company has also said it is privately owned, does not serve patients in the United States and does not have access to Americans’ genetic data.
Trade and national-security concerns
U.S. lawmakers and policymakers have been concerned about BGI for several years. Their concerns include the company’s alleged ties to the Chinese government and the possibility that access to large genetic datasets could affect U.S. national-security and commercial interests. Congress did not pass legislation banning BGI from working with federally funded medical providers, although it passed a similar measure, according to the report.
- Companies named: BGI Group, BGI Genomics and MGI Tech
- U.S. action: Customs and Border Protection will bar their goods starting Thursday
- Stated basis: DHS allegations involving forced labor in Xinjiang
The move comes as biotechnology becomes another area of economic and technological competition between the United States and China. The Treasury Department proposed new restrictions last week on U.S. investment in biotechnology, artificial intelligence and supercomputing in countries including China. Those proposed measures and the import restrictions show that biotechnology policy is being addressed through both investment controls and trade enforcement.
The timing also intersects with efforts to manage broader U.S.-China relations. The latest action precedes an expected meeting next month between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump in Shenzhen. Xi is also expected to travel to Florida in December for the Group of 20 leaders summit, where he could meet Trump for the fourth time this year as the two governments try to maintain ties during a trade truce.
