Key components are stuck in customs as the Chinese-based producer works to certify that the parts were not produced with forced labor.
The Chinese-owned railcar maker China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation announced it will have to furlough 161 workers in its Springfield, Massachusetts plant, which produces rail cars for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Los Angeles Metro, among others.
As Beth Treffeisen explains in an article on Boston.com, “the company said the ongoing delays stem from a U.S. Customs detention notice tied to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.” The law requires companies to provide “clear and convincing evidence” that goods produced in China’s Xinjiang region have no links to forced labor.
CRRC MA has established a task force to trace the stuck products through eight supplier levels to comply with customs rules. “Work teams conducted over 100 on-site supplier visits and held more than 1,000 planning sessions to document the sources of raw materials used in each component.”
According to Treffeisen, “The company filed a 60-day notice with the state, stating that it does not know when the car shells and components will be released and that it anticipates two-month furloughs beginning March 16.”
Read the full story: Over 160 workers to be furloughed at Springfield rail plant after MBTA car parts get stuck in customs
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