Eight US lawmakers have escalated pressure on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to explain how effectively American authorities are blocking goods linked to forced labour from entering the country, with scrutiny intensifying around a popular collectible — Labubu dolls made by Chinese toy company Pop Mart. The development, reported on 13 October 2026, underscores the widening debate over Xinjiang-linked supply chains and the practical limits of US import enforcement.

How Labubu Dolls Became a Trade Policy Flash Point

The rabbit-eared Labubu dolls, part of Pop Mart's popular 'The Monsters' toy line, came under the spotlight after tests reportedly suggested some units contained cotton traced to China's Xinjiang region. The findings drew attention precisely because the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA) bars not only finished products exported directly from the region but also merchandise containing any material covered under the statute — meaning components, not just end products, fall within its scope.

This is a critical distinction. A product assembled in Vietnam or Cambodia using Xinjiang-origin cotton can still trigger the law, making traceability across multi-tier supply chains a central enforcement challenge.

UFLPA Entity List Expansion and Congressional Demands

The congressional push comes weeks after DHS made its largest single expansion of the UFLPA Entity List, adding 43 companies and bringing the total to 187 entities. The eight lawmakers have formally asked DHS for details on goods stopped by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the border, the criteria used to consider additional companies for the entity list, and — critically — how authorities handle goods whose components originate in China but are processed or assembled in third countries.

The lawmakers also sought clarity on how DHS is deploying artificial intelligence to assess country-of-origin information and supply-chain documentation, and on US collaboration with partner nations to address transshipment through third countries.

Labour Rights Violations at Pop Mart Supplier

The congressional scrutiny is reinforced by findings from New York-based labour rights group China Labor Watch, which earlier this year said it uncovered evidence of worker exploitation at a factory supplying Labubu dolls. Investigators who spent three months at Shunjia Toys factory in Xinfeng county, in south-east China's Jiangxi province, reportedly found that workers routinely signed blank labour contracts.

The group's report cited the employment of 16- and 17-year-olds without the special protections required under Chinese law, inadequate health and safety training, and other labour rights violations. Workers were also allegedly forced to sign blank cheques and work overtime — allegations that, if verified, would constitute violations even under Chinese domestic labour regulations.

The Broader Supply-Chain Enforcement Problem

This case highlights a structural challenge in US trade enforcement: global supply chains have grown sufficiently complex that the country of origin for any single product can involve raw material extraction, intermediate processing, and final assembly across three or more countries. The UFLPA's 'rebuttable presumption' standard — which places the burden of proof on importers to demonstrate goods are free of Xinjiang-linked inputs — has put significant compliance pressure on corporations.

Notably, this is not an isolated episode. The UFLPA has been deployed against sectors including solar panels, polysilicon, tomato products, and apparel since its enactment. The Labubu case extends that scrutiny to consumer toys and collectibles — a category not previously in the enforcement spotlight.

What Comes Next

DHS has not yet publicly responded to the eight lawmakers' formal queries. Pop Mart has also not issued a detailed public statement addressing the China Labor Watch findings. Congressional pressure, combined with pending CBP enforcement data, is likely to shape both the pace of future UFLPA entity-list expansions and the standards applied to toy and collectibles imports. Analysts say the case could set a precedent for how consumer goods brands manage third-party supplier audits.