According to official Chinese data, Xinjiang's exports to the United States and the rest of the world witnessed a rise last year. However, the region's trade is heavily skewed as it concentrates on a small set of nations and products.

In recent weeks, Beijing has invoked the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law and imposed sanctions on U.S. companies and individuals for supporting "Taiwan independence" and Xinjiang-related sanctions. This is one of the few times when the invocation of China's anti-foreign sanctions law has led to concrete measures.

Litigation by Chinese company Ninestar and its subsidiaries over a U.S. government decision to include them on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List continues, with new briefs filed by both sides.

There were two developments related to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List last week: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the addition of three Chinese companies to the Entity List; and Ninestar filed an amended complaint related to its inclusion on the list.

Last month, China's State Council announced that it will create a free trade pilot zone in Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region, an area that has been the source of tensions between China and the West, and turn the region into a trade hub. The official document was published yesterday,

The Biden administration released an update to an advisory on Xinjiang supply chains this week and also added three more entities to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List. The bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China expressed support for the Entity List move.

A Chinese company and its subsidiaries have filed a complaint in U.S. federal court challenging a U.S. government decision to include them on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List.