Taipei: Taiwan's economic and labor ministries have unveiled a new cross-agency mechanism designed to prevent the import of goods linked to forced labor, aligning with trade commitments made to the United States. The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) will share information with the Ministry of Labor (MOL) about goods flagged by partner countries as involving forced labor, prompting a review process. According to Focus Taiwan, the mechanism is part of Taiwan's efforts to enforce a ban on imports produced with forced labor, as stipulated in the Taiwan-U.S. Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART), signed in February. A 12-member committee, comprising representatives from various government agencies, will evaluate whether these goods should be barred from entering Taiwan. At a recent briefing, Huang Chi-ya, head of MOL's Department of Labor Standards and Equal Employment, emphasized that the committee will convene as cases are reported, rather than on a regular schedule. Huang clarified that while the U.S. is cur rently a partner, the MOEA will decide which other countries the mechanism will cover. In their response to CNA, the MOEA indicated that Taiwan will review cases based on partner countries' findings, such as those identified by U.S. customs authorities for forced labor. However, the ministry did not specify additional partner countries or goods under review. For each case received, a subset of the committee will initially consider recommending a temporary import restriction. The full committee is tasked with reaching a decision within 30 days, focusing on the International Labour Organization's indicators of forced labor and any corrective actions taken by the company involved. Huang reiterated that Taiwan's review process would be independent, stating that reliance solely on partner countries' determinations would negate the need for a review committee. Taiwan may also leverage its diplomatic channels to gather necessary information on foreign companies and workers. Once a decision is made, the committee must inform the MOEA or relevant authorities within five days, who will then announce any import restrictions. This mechanism follows a recent U.S. decision to categorize 60 trading partners based on their forced-labor import policies enforcement, with Taiwan receiving relatively favorable tariff treatment, reflecting its commitment under the ART.