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An import ban applies to sugar from Central Romana Corporation, a giant whose sugar is sold under the Domino brand.
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By Ana Swanson
WASHINGTON — Biden’s management announced Wednesday that it will block sugar shipments from Central Romana Corporation, a Dominican Republic-based sugar company sold in the United States under the Domino logo and has long been accused of subjecting it to poor operating conditions.
U. S. Customs and Border ProtectionThe U. S. Air Force issued what’s called an anti-company withholding order “based on data that rather indicates the use of forced hard labor in its operations,” adding abusive operating and living conditions, excessive overtime, wage deductions and other violations.
“Manufacturers like Central Romana, who comply with our laws, will suffer the consequences as we remove these inhumane practices from U. S. supply chains. “”AnnMarie R. Highsmith, deputy executive commissioner of the agency’s Office of Commerce,” said in a statement.
Central Romana responded that it was “very disappointed” by the resolution and had been investing heavily for years in the living situation of its employees.
“We vehemently disagree with the resolution because we do not believe it reflects the facts about our company and the remedy of our employees,” he said Wednesday.
Central Romana, which is the largest landowner and employer in the Dominican Republic, exports more than two hundred million pounds of sugar a year to the United States. It belongs in part to the Fanjul family, an influential force in American politics for decades as a major donor to Republicans and Democrats.
The measures have been the subject of intense debate on Capitol Hill, where profits from the sugar industry are funneled toward generous contributions to crusades and lobbying expenses, according to other people familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The United States is the largest market for Dominican sugar, and the move could have a chilling effect on Central Romana, which produces about 59 percent of the Dominican Republic’s sugar, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
It can also lead to significant disruptions in U. S. sugar imports. The U. S. economy is expected in the near term, though economists said the impact on sugar prices, which are heavily influenced by regulation, remains to be seen. These regulations come with value supports that remain. U. S. sugar valuesThis is well above those in global markets, as well as preferential tariff rates for sugar imported from the Dominican Republic.
Charity Ryerson, executive director of Corporate Accountability Lab, a Chicago-based human rights organization, said the restrictions would give Central Romana a difficult situation for its workers.
“Central Romana has been warned for years, but it does not respect the highest fundamental criteria of labor and human rights in its operation,” he said. “From now on, we have a vital opportunity for the C. B. P. , Central Romana and civil society for combination paintings to make sure that staff are free, that they are treated well and that forced labour never takes place on those farms again.
The Dominican sugar industry has come under scrutiny for decades for its poor hard work practices. Media and human rights teams have said Central Romana exerts enormous force on its workers, many of whom are Haitian immigrants and some of whom have citizenship.
Many employees in dilapidated homes without running water or electricity, according to civil society groups. The company has also been accused of forcibly evicting families from their homes in the Dominican Republic and employing a force of masked and armed guards to intimidate staff.
Central Romana has publicly defended its practices and said that it gives some of the current situations in the industry. A congressional delegation that visited the Dominican Republic and met with staff this summer said the country had made progress in addressing some of the worst abuses, adding hard work and human trafficking.
But the delegation still found evidence that forced labor persisted on sugarcane plantations. Sugarcane cutters faced “difficult living and operating conditions” and “a culture of concern permeates the industry,” Reps. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Dan Kildee of Michigan. , any of the Democrats, said in a statement.
Members of the Fanjul family, Cuban exiles who grow sugar cane in Florida and acquired the Dominican company in the 1980s, have been a tough force in American politics for decades, known for their dealings with the Bush family, the Clintons and Sen. Marco Rubio. . , Republican of Florida, among others.
They are co-owners of American Sugar Refining, the world’s largest sugar refinery, which processes sugar from the Dominican Republic at its U. S. facility. The U. S. government sells it to Hershey.
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