Moving towards ethical trade practices and aligning India's foreign trade regime with international labour standards, the Central Government has prohibited the import of goods produced or manufactured using forced labour.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has issued a notification amending the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), 2023.
The notification inserts Paragraph 2.20B, which bans the import of goods produced wholly or in part using forced labour.
The notification empowers the Central Government to specify, through separate notifications, the categories of goods that will be prohibited from import after conducting necessary inquiries and examining relevant evidence. The procedure for such inquiries will be prescribed in the Handbook of Procedures, 2023.
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The DGFT has also inserted a new definition of "Forced Labour" under Chapter 11 of the FTP. It defines forced labour as any work or service exacted from a person under the threat of any penalty and for which the person has not offered themselves voluntarily, in line with the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (Convention No. 29).
According to the notification, the amendment is intended to strengthen India's trade framework by restricting imports linked to forced labour and promoting responsible global supply chains.
The provisions of the notification will come into force 30 days after its publication in the Official Gazette. The notification has been issued with the approval of the Minister of Commerce and Industry.
India had banned forces labour in 1976 through the Bonded Labour System Abolition Act. India's NHRC has been conducting a review of forced labour at home too, having engaged UP and Haryana on the matter. The Tribune has exclusively reported on the review. UP has 216 documented complaints of forced labour and Haryana 84.