[{"content":" ","date":"6 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/en/articles/","section":"Articles","summary":"Explainers, case studies, regulation breakdowns and gap analysis on business and human rights.","title":"Articles","type":"articles"},{"content":" One global conversation, seen from the ground up\nWe bring ground-level cases from Taiwan and developments across Asia into the international discussion on business and human rights.\n","date":"6 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/en/","section":"Business of Rights","summary":" One global conversation, seen from the ground up\n","title":"Business of Rights","type":"page"},{"content":"","date":"6 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/en/kinds/case-study/","section":"Kinds","summary":"","title":"Case Study","type":"kinds"},{"content":"","date":"6 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/en/topics/forced-labour/","section":"Topics","summary":"","title":"Forced Labour","type":"topics"},{"content":"","date":"6 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/en/kinds/","section":"Kinds","summary":"","title":"Kinds","type":"kinds"},{"content":"","date":"6 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/en/topics/migrant-workers/","section":"Topics","summary":"","title":"Migrant Workers","type":"topics"},{"content":"","date":"6 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/en/topics/supply-chain-governance/","section":"Topics","summary":"","title":"Supply Chain Governance","type":"topics"},{"content":"","date":"6 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/en/topics/","section":"Topics","summary":"","title":"Topics","type":"topics"},{"content":" Key Takeaways # On 24 September 2025, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) against Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer Giant Manufacturing on the grounds of forced labour — the first time such an order has targeted a Taiwanese manufacturer. The investigation found that Giant violated 5 of the ILO\u0026rsquo;s 11 indicators of forced labour: debt bondage arising from recruitment fees, withholding of wages, excessive overtime, abuse of vulnerability, and abusive working and living conditions. Over more than a year, Giant has rolled out remediation measures, including reimbursing recruitment fees, providing new dormitories for migrant workers and submitting a Corrective Action Plan (CAP). Industry peers such as Merida and Cheng Shin Rubber have also adopted zero-recruitment-fee policies. As of August 2026, the WRO remains in place. 1. What happened? # On 24 September 2025, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) against Giant bicycles and components produced in Taiwan by Giant Manufacturing.\nThis was the first time US Customs had taken border enforcement action against a Taiwanese manufacturer on the grounds of forced labour. For Taiwanese companies, the action had immediate financial and reputational impacts in the US market.\n2. Which violations did US Customs identify? # In this case, CBP drew on the International Labour Organization\u0026rsquo;s (ILO) 11 indicators of forced labour and found that Giant\u0026rsquo;s factories in Taiwan exhibited at least five of them: debt bondage, withholding of wages, excessive overtime, abuse of vulnerability, and abusive working and living conditions.\nAccording to the findings, migrant workers had to pay recruitment fees of roughly USD 3,200 to 6,700 to agencies in their home countries before coming to work in Taiwan. Once in Taiwan, they also paid monthly service fees to Taiwanese brokers, amounting to about NT$60,000 over a three-year contract. Living conditions were also poor: in some older dormitories, up to 20 people shared a single room, in crowded and unsanitary conditions.\nThis reflects one of the most overlooked forms of forced labour: heavy debt that effectively strips workers of the freedom to refuse work. Debt bondage caused by recruitment fees is one of the most common risks faced by Southeast Asian migrant workers coming to Taiwan.\n3. What was the impact? # Once the WRO was issued, the rest of the industry moved quickly. Merida, Cheng Shin Rubber (Maxxis), Fritz Jou, and Fox Factory\u0026rsquo;s plant in Taiwan all subsequently announced zero-recruitment-fee policies. The case is no longer one company\u0026rsquo;s crisis. It has exposed a structural problem that Taiwan\u0026rsquo;s whole bicycle supply chain now has to face.\nAs the first time the US has invoked its forced labour ban against a Taiwanese manufacturer, the case is a wake-up call for Taiwan\u0026rsquo;s government, its industries and even its recruitment agencies.\n4. How has Giant responded? # A zero-recruitment-fee policy at Giant started in January 2025. After the WRO took effect, the company began formally reimbursing recruitment fees in October. According to reports, Vietnamese workers each received NT$50,000 and Thai workers NT$30,000; the following year, reimbursement was also extended to former employees, and 400 migrant workers moved into new dormitories. According to Giant\u0026rsquo;s Q1 2026 financial report, these reforms cost the company around NT$80 million.\nAs of August 2026, more than 10 months after it was issued, the WRO has still not been lifted. Of the 27 WROs issued by CBP since 2020, only 8 have been lifted or modified, taking an average of around 29 months. Giant remains in ongoing dialogue with CBP, but whether and when the order will be lifted remains uncertain.\n6. What\u0026rsquo;s the role of the Taiwanese government? # As early as June 2024, journalist Peter Bengtsen published an investigation naming Giant and several other Taiwanese bicycle manufacturers as being exposed to forced labour risks. Yet it was only when CBP formally issued the WRO that the authorities recognised the urgency of the issues.\nThis year, Taiwan\u0026rsquo;s Control Yuan, the government\u0026rsquo;s top oversight body, also opened an investigation into this case, and its report highlighted two structural problems. First, Taiwan still largely relies on existing domestic labour laws to determine legality, rather than fully adopting the ILO forced labour indicators as an inspection standard. What is legal in Taiwan may still fall short internationally. Second, unless the government addresses the issue systemically rather than through piecemeal fixes, it will struggle to meet international human rights expectations.\nIn response to these findings, the Ministry of Labor (MOL) introduced Guidelines on the Prevention of Forced Labour in February. It also plans to amend the law to prohibit employers and brokers from confiscating migrant workers\u0026rsquo; identity documents or collecting deposits. Since March, the MOL has been working together with the Ministry of Economic Affairs to help companies identify and address forced labour risks.\nAt the international level, this commitment also extends to the Taiwan–US trade agreement signed in February this year, under which the Taiwanese government committed to legislating within three years to prohibit recruitment fees and related costs from being borne by workers.\n7. What This Means for Taiwan\u0026rsquo;s Supply Chains # As an export-oriented economy, Taiwan\u0026rsquo;s manufacturers are tightly woven into global supply chains. As international markets increasingly incorporate human rights standards, market access is becoming tied to human rights practices. A compliant supply chain will become the threshold for doing international business.\nThe Control Yuan\u0026rsquo;s report has already pointed to the most critical warning: being legal in Taiwan is not the same as being compliant internationally. A company can fully comply with Taiwan\u0026rsquo;s labour laws and still fall short of international standards, and so fail its buyers\u0026rsquo; supply chain requirements.\nThe impact of the Giant case goes far beyond a single company. As bicycle makers dropped recruitment fees one after another, the message was clear: worker-paid recruitment fees are an industry-wide risk, not an isolated case.\nCompanies and the government have long treated migrant workers\u0026rsquo; rights reactively, acting only after a problem comes to light. Because forced labour is a systemic risk, companies and the government must adopt a risk-based approach that puts prevention first. For Taiwanese suppliers, respecting workers\u0026rsquo; rights is no longer optional. It is the basis of trust with global buyers and the price of access to global markets.\nReference CBP Issues Withhold Release Order on Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Giant Group\u0026#39;s update on its response to the CBP Withhold Release Order (WRO) Peter Bengtsen: Taiwan Bicycle WRO Development Tracker Control Yuan Investigation Report (Case No. 115) ","date":"6 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/en/articles/giant-wro/","section":"Articles","summary":"On 24 September 2025, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) against Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer Giant Manufacturing on the grounds of forced labour — the first time such an order has targeted a Taiwanese manufacturer.","title":"When \"Made in Taiwan\" Meets the US Forced Labour Ban: Inside the Giant Case","type":"articles"},{"content":" 重點摘要 # 2027 年 12 月 14 日起，凡是使用強迫勞動製造的產品，都不得在歐盟市場銷售。 規範的是「產品」：不論產地或企業規模，只要供應鏈任何一個環節涉及強迫勞動，產品就會被禁售、下架。 一旦啟動調查，企業有 30 至 60 個工作天提交答辯，原則上在 9 個月內完成。 與美國海關暫扣令（WRO）相比，歐盟採「先調查、再決定」，流程較長，但禁令一旦做出，效力及於整個歐盟市場與出口。 提到歐盟的供應鏈人權規範，很多人第一個想到的是《企業永續盡職調查指令》（CSDDD）。然而明年有另一項法令，將會直接影響在歐盟市場販售的商品。根據歐盟《強迫勞動產品禁令》，自 2027 年 12 月 14 日起，只要產品的供應鏈涉及強迫勞動，無論在哪裡生產、由誰製造，都不能在歐盟市場販售。\n一、這項法規在管什麼？ # 這項禁令針對的是在歐盟市場販售的「產品」：從原料開採、採收、生產到加工，只要任何一個環節使用了強迫勞動，產品就必須從市場下架；透過線上平台販售的產品，同樣受到規範。不過，運輸、倉儲、物流、顧問等服務業，則不在規範範圍內。\n法規採用國際勞工組織（ILO）對「強迫勞動」的定義作為判斷標準，而且不論企業規模大小都一體適用。不過，執法會依風險高低排序，實務上大型企業與高風險產業，會有更高的機率受到檢視。\n二、什麼時候開始執行？ # 歐盟在 2024 年通過這項法規，今年起配套工具陸續到位。強迫勞動產品禁令的《實施指南》已在 6 月正式發布，同時啟用「強迫勞動單一入口網站」（Forced Labour Single Portal），網站上提供完整的法規說明與企業資源，未來也可以透過這個管道，通報疑似強迫勞動的產品。另一項重要工具是「強迫勞動風險資料庫」，將列出存在強迫勞動風險的地區與產品，企業可以用來檢視自己的供應鏈，目前仍在建置中。\n法規將於 2027 年 12 月 14 日正式上路，屆時歐盟將開始受理通報、啟動調查。\n三、法規怎麼運作？ # 調查誰？ # 主管機關會依風險高低，排定調查的優先順序。\n決定先查哪些產品時，主要看三件事：強迫勞動的規模與嚴重程度、流入歐盟市場的產品數量，以及可疑零件在最終產品中所占的比重。決定要找哪家企業時，則會考量企業和強迫勞動環節的距離與影響力、企業的規模與資源，以及供應鏈的複雜程度。\n調查線索除了來自歐盟風險資料庫，也包括公民團體、工會、媒體等外部通報；主管機關也可以主動發起調查。\n怎麼調查？ # 執法由歐盟執委會與會員國分工合作，分為兩個階段。\n第一階段是初步評估。主管機關會先向企業索取資料，了解企業如何辨識、預防與處理強迫勞動風險；企業有 30 個工作天可以回覆，主管機關再於 30 個工作天內判斷是否存在「具體可信的疑慮」（substantiated concern）。\n如果初步評估後確認有疑點，就會進入第二階段的正式調查。企業必須在 30 至 60 個工作天內，提交供應鏈追溯、受調查產品等資料，過程中也享有通知、陳述意見與上訴等程序保障。主管機關原則上會在調查啟動後 9 個月內做出決定。\n確認違規後會怎樣？ # 一旦確認產品使用強迫勞動，主管機關會做出禁令決定，要求企業停止在歐盟銷售及出口該產品，並把已經上架的產品撤下，包括線上銷售頁面。企業至少會有 30 個工作天可以執行。\n如果企業沒有遵守禁令，例如繼續讓產品上市、沒有依規定下架或處置產品，或沒有更換有問題的零件，會員國可以處以罰則。\n會不會解禁？ # 企業可以提出新的實質證據，證明已經消除供應鏈中的強迫勞動並完成補救，申請重新審查；唯有禁令撤銷後，產品才能重新回到歐盟市場。\n四、歐盟禁令 vs. 美國海關暫扣令（WRO） # 美國同樣有針對強迫勞動的進口禁令，近年最常用的工具是海關暫扣令（Withhold Release Order，WRO）。兩者的目標相同，但在執行方式、生效速度和影響範圍上都不一樣。\n美國的做法是在邊境攔貨。只要海關有「合理跡象」懷疑產品涉及強迫勞動，就能發布暫扣令，命令一發布立即生效，貨物一到港口就會被扣下。之後，進口商必須自己證明產品沒有使用強迫勞動，貨物才能放行。\n歐盟則是先調查、再決定。主管機關必須先有「具體可信的疑慮」才能展開調查，並且要自己蒐集證據；企業在過程中可以提出說明、進行補救，也有上訴的權利。因此，從調查到做出決定，整個流程會比較長。不過，決定一旦做出，影響就不只是進口：產品不能在整個歐盟市場上架，已經上架的要撤下，也不能從歐盟出口。\n相比之下，美國快速直接，在邊境就把貨擋下；歐盟程序較長，但一旦做出決定，影響的是產品在整個歐盟市場的流通。\n五、對台灣供應鏈會造成什麼影響？ # 對出口到歐盟的台灣廠商來說，只要供應鏈中任何一個環節被查出使用強迫勞動，產品就可能無法在歐盟販售。即使只是供應零件，只要零件被組裝進在歐盟銷售的產品，品牌商與主管機關都可能沿著供應鏈往上追查。\n由於歐盟會依風險排定調查順序，優先處理產品數量多、市場影響大的案件。台灣在電子產品、機械設備、自行車和紡織品等產業都是全球供應鏈的要角，因此生產規模越大、出口量越高的廠商，越有可能成為調查對象。\n去年 9 月，美國海關對捷安特在台生產的自行車發布暫扣令，最關鍵的原因之一，就是移工來台所支付的高額仲介費，已構成國際上判定強迫勞動的重要指標。捷安特隨後積極改善，但截至今年 8 月，暫扣令仍未解除。\n歐盟禁令上路後，同樣的標準將延伸到整個歐洲市場。對台灣企業而言，消除供應鏈中的強迫勞動已不只是企業社會責任，而是產品能否進入市場的基本門檻。\n參考資料 Regulation on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market Guidelines on the application of Regulation (EU) Forced Labour Regulation Single Portal International Labor Organization（ILO）｜Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) CBP issues Withhold Release Order on Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd. ","date":"2026年10月6日","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/articles/eu-forced-labour-regulation/","section":"議題專欄","summary":"2027 年 12 月 14 日起，凡是使用強迫勞動製造的產品，都不得在歐盟市場銷售。","title":"什麼是歐盟《強迫勞動產品禁令》？","type":"articles"},{"content":"","date":"2026年10月6日","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/topics/%E4%BE%9B%E6%87%89%E9%8F%88%E6%B2%BB%E7%90%86/","section":"Topics","summary":"","title":"供應鏈治理","type":"topics"},{"content":"","date":"2026年10月6日","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/topics/%E5%BC%B7%E8%BF%AB%E5%8B%9E%E5%8B%95/","section":"Topics","summary":"","title":"強迫勞動","type":"topics"},{"content":"","date":"2026年10月6日","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/kinds/%E6%B3%95%E8%A6%8F%E6%8B%86%E8%A7%A3/","section":"Kinds","summary":"","title":"法規拆解","type":"kinds"},{"content":"","date":"2026年9月22日","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/kinds/%E6%A1%88%E4%BE%8B%E5%88%86%E6%9E%90/","section":"Kinds","summary":"","title":"案例分析","type":"kinds"},{"content":"","date":"2026年9月22日","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/topics/%E7%A7%BB%E5%B7%A5%E6%AC%8A%E7%9B%8A/","section":"Topics","summary":"","title":"移工權益","type":"topics"},{"content":" Business of Rights begins with a close look at Taiwan. It follows the evolution of Taiwan\u0026rsquo;s due diligence regulation and examines forced labour risks and working conditions in its supply chains through ground-level analysis. The lens then widens to Asia, tracing how human rights due diligence is developing across the region and how these approaches compare internationally.\nWe bring perspectives from the ground into the international conversation, connecting local developments with wider policy discussions and offering comparative insight from Asia and beyond.\nBusiness of Rights began as an Instagram account explaining business and human rights in plain language. Follow us on Instagram for regular updates, or send us a direct message with questions, corrections or ideas for collaboration.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/en/about/","section":"Business of Rights","summary":"We bring perspectives from the ground into the international conversation, connecting local developments with wider policy discussions and offering comparative insight from Asia and beyond.","title":"About Business of Rights","type":"about"},{"content":" Stay informed with Business of Rights. Explore case studies, regulatory breakdowns, and timely takes on the news, with key developments in business and human rights from Taiwan, across Asia, and beyond.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/en/newsletter/","section":"Business of Rights","summary":"Stay informed with Business of Rights. Explore case studies, regulatory breakdowns, and timely takes on the news, with key developments in business and human rights from Taiwan, across Asia, and beyond.","title":"Newsletter","type":"newsletter"}]