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News · EconomyThe United States blocks products from three Chinese DNA giants over forced labor
The U.S. government added BGI Group, BGI Genomics and MGI Tech to its forced labor blacklist. Since October 29, their products cannot enter the country unless the importer proves no forced labor was involved.
Translated from the original Spanish article. Read in Spanish
News published on October 29, 2026. The situation may have changed since then.
The United States has shut its doors to three Chinese genetics companies. They are BGI Group, BGI Genomics and MGI Tech, three companies linked to one another.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added them on October 28, 2026 to the list of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).
Why they are being punished
According to the government, the three companies help the authorities in Xinjiang, in northwest China, build a mass surveillance system that uses genetic data to monitor ethnic minorities such as the Uyghurs.
DHS also accuses them of supporting forced labor transfers and other forms of repression.
What changes
Since October 29, U.S. customs presumes their products were made with forced labor. That is why they cannot enter the country, unless the importer proves otherwise.
This covers genetic tests, research services, DNA-reading machines and the chemicals they use.
With these three, the U.S. Uyghur forced labor blacklist now has 190 companies.
China's response
BGI Genomics said it rejects all the allegations and does not use forced labor. It added that its U.S. business is very small, so it does not expect a major hit to its finances.
The companies also voiced their rejection in Chinese state media such as the Global Times.
A long-running tug of war
BGI is one of the world's largest genetic sequencing companies. It built and runs the China National GeneBank.
In July, Washington had already added 43 companies to the same list, the largest expansion since it was created.
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Sources (in Spanish)
- Empresas añadidas, motivos, fecha de entrada en vigor, productos y tamaño de la lista: Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (28 de octubre de 2026).
- Aviso oficial: Federal Register (29 de octubre de 2026).
- Respuesta de la empresa: BGI Genomics (29 de octubre de 2026).
- Rechazo en medios chinos: Global Times (octubre de 2026).
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