U.S. Bans BGI Group Over Forced Labor Allegations

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security added BGI Group, its subsidiary BGI Genomics Co., and the spin-off MGI Tech Co. to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List on Wednesday. This designation creates a legal presumption that the companies' goods are produced with forced labor, effectively banning their import into the United States unless importers can provide evidence to the contrary.

U.S. officials allege the genomics companies are associated with the abuse of minority groups in the Xinjiang region, specifically citing the genetic analysis of Uyghurs. The Trump administration has increased scrutiny of the firm, with the Department of Defense classifying BGI and its subsidiaries as Chinese military companies operating within the United States.

BGI Group has denied the allegations, stating that its operations are not controlled by the Chinese government or military.