Forced Labor Order on Major Sugar Producer Modified

A withhold release order that required the detention at all U.S. ports of entry of raw sugar and sugar-based products produced in the Dominican Republic by Central Romana Corporation Limited, that country’s largest producer, appears to have been lifted.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection website listing WROs now indicates that this WRO is inactive after a modification effective March 17. CBP has not issued a press release explaining the nature of the modification, but the DR Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs said the change will allow for “the normalization of Dominican sugar access to the U.S. market.”

The WRO against Central Romana was issued in November 2022 following a review that identified five of the eleven International Labor Organization indicators of forced labor in the DR sugar industry.

Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg offers a comprehensive suite of services to help companies address forced labor concerns, including supply chain reviews, due diligence strategies, and proactive remediation. ST&R also maintains a frequently updated web page offering a broad range of information on forced labor-related efforts in the U.S. and around the world. For more information, please contact ST&R at supplychainvisibility@strtrade.com.