Full Breakdown
U.S. Bans Imports from Three Chinese Genomics Firms Over Xinjiang Forced-Labor Allegations
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Core Event
On Oct 28 the United States added BGI Group, its publicly traded unit BGI Genomics, and spinoff MGI Tech to the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act Entity List. The designation creates a presumption that the companies’ goods are made with forced labour, requiring importers to prove otherwise before U.S. Customs and Border Protection will allow entry.
02
Background & Context
The Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act, enacted in 2021, authorizes a blacklist of entities linked to forced-labour practices in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. U.S. officials have repeatedly cited reports of internment camps and coerced labour involving Uyghurs and other minorities. The latest action follows a July round that added lesser-known firms and a broader August addition of 43 Chinese companies, bringing the list to roughly 190 entities. China has consistently denied the allegations, describing its Xinjiang policies as counter-terrorism measures.
03
Data & Statistics
- Entity count: One source reports the list now includes 190 entities, while another cites 187 entities after the August expansion.
- Revenue exposure: BGI Genomics disclosed that the Americas accounted for less than 2 % of its 2025 revenue; MGI Tech indicated about 8 % of its revenue derives from the Americas.
- Business adjustments: In February, MGI Tech divested its U.S. subsidiary Complete Genomics, citing an “increasingly grim policy environment.”
- Prior trade actions: In March 2025 China banned sequencing equipment from U.S. firm Illumina; in November 2025 Illumina reported a pending lift of that ban but remained on China’s Unreliable Entities List.
04
Official Statements & Responses
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin pledged to shield American workers from “slave labour” and emphasized the presumption of forced-labour involvement.
- BGI Group: Issued a statement denying any forced-labour engagement, asserting that its U.S.
05
Criticism & Opposition
- He added that “China has always opposed forced labour and, at present, Xinjiang enjoys social stability, economic prosperity and a peaceful life for its people.”
06
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Entity total: The discrepancy between 190 and 187 listed entities illustrates divergent reporting on the blacklist’s size.
- Company comment: BGI Genomics did not respond to a request for comment, leaving a gap in direct clarification from that unit.
07
What’s Next
- A meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump is slated for next month in Shenzhen, the city where BGI Group is headquartered. Xi is expected to travel to Florida in December for the Group of 20 summit, marking a fourth high-level encounter this year.
- Analysts such as Kit Conklin of Exiger anticipate that the administration may extend restrictions to clinical trials, testing, and modeling activities involving the designated firms.
08
Verbatim Quotes
- “China urged the US to immediately stop its attacks and smears against Xinjiang, stop manipulating the so-called ‘forced labour’ issue, and stop wantonly suppressing Chinese companies,” — Liu Chang, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington
- “China has always opposed forced labour and, at present, Xinjiang enjoys social stability, economic prosperity and a peaceful life for its people.” — The Department