U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has cleared tobacco imports from Malawi by Limbe Leaf Tobacco Co.
As of July 31, tobacco imported from Limbe Leaf is again admissible at all U.S. ports of entry. CBP previously denied these tobacco imports entry into the United States based on suspicion that they were produced using forced labor.
CBP lifted its ban based on a rigorous evaluation of Limbe Leaf’s social compliance program and efforts to identify and minimize the risks of forced labor from its supply chain. According to the agency, these actions produced evidence that sufficiently supports the company’s claims that tobacco from its farms is not produced and harvested using forced labor.
Earlier this year, CBP cleared Malawi tobacco sold by Alliance One International for entry into the U.S.