Forced labor enforcement is not just a U.S. story – the European Union is moving on it too.
The EU’s Forced Labor Product Ban Regulation will take effect Dec. 14, 2027, and the European Commission has now opened the Forced Labor Single Portal and issued guidelines to help businesses, regulators, customs authorities, and other stakeholders get ready.
The rule is broad by design. It bars economic operators from placing on the EU market, making available in the EU, or exporting from the EU any product made, in whole or in part, with forced labor. That means all products, all sectors, all company sizes, and all origins are in scope. Components count too. So do supply chain activities anywhere in the world, including extraction, harvesting, production, manufacturing, processing, or related work. Online and distance sales are covered when targeted to EU end-users.
And the rule has teeth. If a violation is found, the lead competent authority—EU member states for conduct within their territory, and the European Commission for conduct outside the EU—may order withdrawal and disposal of the affected products or parts, including recycling, donation, or destruction. Customs authorities will enforce decisions at the border, and member states will set penalties for non-compliance.
The new portal is meant to be the regulation’s central hub. For now, it includes Commission guidelines, competent-authority contacts, preparedness materials, free traceability tools, resources from the International Labor Organization and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and information on webinars and training expected to begin this September.
Two important pieces are still missing. The portal does not yet include the single information submission point, where forced labor concerns about products or companies can be reported, or the risk database identifying forced labor risks by geography, product, or product group. The risk database was legally due by June 14.
Could these developments help ease U.S. concerns about EU forced labor enforcement, including in the context of the pending Section 301 tariffs? Maybe, but companies should not wait to find out. Exporters to the EU should map supply chains, test due diligence, document remediation, and monitor the portal now. The runway is open; 2027 will arrive fast.
Copyright © 2026 Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.; WorldTrade Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved.