US bans imports from BGI Genomics, MGI Tech and affiliate over Xinjiang forced labor allegations

Oct 28, 2026

On October 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security added Chinese biotech leaders BGI Group, BGI Genomics, and MGI Tech to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List, bringing total listed entities to 190. U.S. officials state the firms assist Xinjiang authorities in forced labor transfers and genetic surveillance of minority groups. Beijing and the affected companies forcefully denied the claims as political manipulation.

US adds BGI entities to forced labor list

▪The U.S. Department of Homeland Security added Chinese biotech firms BGI Genomics, MGI Tech, and Shenzhen BGI Technology to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List
▪Effective October 29, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection was instructed to block goods produced by BGI Group, BGI Genomics, and MGI Tech from entering the United States unless importers prove no forced labor was used.

Allegations of forced labor and genetic data abuses

▪The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that BGI Group tests human genetic material collected from residents of the Xinjiang region as well as genetic material from local plants and animals.
▪The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that MGI Tech provides gene-testing equipment and related support to Xinjiang authorities involved in forced labor practices.
▪The U.S. Department of Homeland Security alleged that BGI Group and BGI Genomics collaborate with Xinjiang regional authorities to recruit, transport, transfer, harbor, or receive forced labor of Uyghurs and other minorities.
▪The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that BGI Group, BGI Genomics, and MGI Tech help operate a mass surveillance system in Xinjiang using genetic data to enable minority repression.

Reactions and legal challenges from targeted companies and China

▪BGI Group and MGI Tech denied all forced labor allegations, stating they maintain zero tolerance for forced labor, respect international standards, and derive limited revenue from U.S. operations.
▪China's Ministry of Commerce and Chinese embassy spokesman Liu Chang condemned the U.S. import restrictions as ungrounded political manipulation, unilateral protectionism, and smear campaigns against Xinjiang.
▪MGI Tech stated it would consult U.S. legal specialists and explore legal remedies to challenge its placement on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List.

BGI Group corporate ownership

▪BGI Group has emphasized its private ownership, stating that it does not serve patients in the United States or possess access to Americans' genetic data.
▪BGI Group holds controlling corporate stakes in both BGI Genomics and MGI Tech.

Genomics operations in Xinjiang

▪In July 2025, a BGI-invested genetics laboratory at a public hospital in Kashgar planned to utilize 10 million yuan in regional government assistance funding for genetic screening programs.
▪In October 2022, approximately 180 BGI Genomics employees traveled to Yining to assist with mass COVID-19 testing, while MGI Tech helped upgrade regional laboratory processing systems.
▪Chinese government websites documented past cooperation between genomics companies and authorities in Xinjiang without disclosing activities used to facilitate forced labor.

Broad context on Xinjiang human rights abuses and UFLPA

▪The United Nations warned in 2022 of possible crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, where human rights organizations state over one million Uyghurs and Muslim minorities have been detained in camps.
▪Former U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act into law at the end of 2021 following widespread allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

U.S. national Security concerns

▪The Pentagon previously designated BGI Group, BGI Genomics, and MGI Tech as Chinese military companies.
▪U.S. lawmakers and policymakers have expressed concern for several years that BGI Group's alleged ties to the Chinese government could harm U.S. national security and commercial interests.

Commerce Department export restrictions

▪In July 2020 and March 2023, the U.S. Commerce Department placed BGI-linked entities on an export-control list over concerns that genetic data collection was used for minority surveillance and military applications.
▪Earlier U.S. Commerce Department export-control restrictions limited the access of BGI-linked entities to certain American technologies.

Congressional biotech legislation

▪The U.S. Congress previously failed to pass legislation that would explicitly ban BGI Group from doing business with federally funded medical providers.
▪At the end of 2025, the U.S. Congress passed legislation requiring executive branch agencies to compile a formal list of biotechnology companies of concern.

U.S. technology competition

▪Artificial intelligence and computer chips were already subject to U.S. scrutiny as key frontiers in the economic competition between Beijing and Washington.
▪In October 2026, the U.S. Treasury Department proposed rules restricting U.S. investments in Chinese biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and supercomputing companies.

China restrictions on Illumina

▪In March 2025, China banned imports of gene-sequencing equipment from San Diego-based Illumina, before agreeing in November 2025 to lift the ban while keeping Illumina on its Unreliable Entities List.
▪Remaining on China's Unreliable Entities List required buyers to obtain Chinese government approval before purchasing gene-sequencing instruments from Illumina.

Trump and Xi Jinping diplomacy

▪The U.S. import ban on BGI Group entities occurred during a fragile bilateral trade truce, ahead of planned talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
▪Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump planned to meet in Shenzhen in November 2026 ahead of the Group of 20 summit in Florida.