The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a Withhold Release Order on automobile tires manufactured in Serbia by Linglong International Europe in Zrenjanin, due to evidence “reasonably indicating the use of forced labor in their production.”
The decision means that all shipments of Linglong tires will be detained at U.S. ports of entry, and importers will be required to prove that the goods were not produced using forced labor, or the products will be destroyed or re-exported.
According to CBP’s statement, analysis of evidence—including worker testimonies, photographs, contracts, messages, NGO reports, and academic research—indicates that Linglong workers were exposed to nine indicators of forced labor according to International Labour Organization standards.
“The United States will not tolerate forced labor in supply chains,” said Commissioner Rodney S. Scott, while CBP’s Office of Trade stated that the measure is part of efforts to protect the U.S. market from products produced through worker exploitation.
New international consequences in the Linglong labor exploitation case
This development represents the most significant international consequence to date following years of warnings about labor exploitation in Linglong, particularly of Vietnamese workers engaged in the construction of the tire factory in Zrenjanin.
In early 2022, ASTRA documented the conditions of these workers in a detailed report, including:
• extremely poor living and working conditions
• confiscation of passports
• isolation
• unpaid wages
• excessive working hours
• deception regarding contracts and working terms
These findings contributed to an international response:
• The European Parliament adopted a Resolution on forced labor in the Linglong factory (December 2021),
• United Nations human rights experts issued a statement expressing “deep concern over alleged trafficking of Vietnamese migrants for the purpose of labor exploitation in Serbia” (January 2022),
• The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights called on Serbia to clarify the case and protect workers (June 2022).
Serbia without a clear institutional response
Although the case has been in the public spotlight since 2021, the state of Serbia has yet to implement the full range of measures required by its own legal framework in the field of protection of trafficking victims, nor have institutional responsibilities been clearly defined.
Most pressure for action has come from international bodies, civil society organizations, media, and academia — while the institutional response in Serbia remains fragmented and insufficiently focused on the rights of workers.
ASTRA: U.S. decision highlights importance of worker protection and transparency
ASTRA believes that the CBP decision confirms what civil society organizations in Serbia have been warning about since 2021: that allegations of forced labor in Linglong require a comprehensive, independent, and effective investigation, including protection for workers who reported exploitation.
ASTRA calls on Serbian authorities to:
• ensure a thorough and independent investigation,
• protect potential victims of human trafficking,
• provide public information on measures undertaken,
• and ensure that similar forms of exploitation do not occur again.