Fishermen work on an aquafarm at Changhai County in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 8, 2019. Fishermen here are busy collecting scallops and fish as the harvest season comes recently.(Photo: Xinhua)

The Chinese Foreign Ministry (FM) said on Monday that the US' import ban on seafood from a Chinese firm over accusations of forced labor is groundless and grandstanding, given that the firm in question has never sold anything to the US. 

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)'s claims of "forced labor" in the Chinese fishing company's operations are completely inconsistent with the facts and are pure fabrication, Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the FM, said during a press conference on Monday.

The CBP on Friday issued a withhold release order against Dalian Ocean Fishing Co, citing "forced labor" within the company's fishing operations, according to a statement on the bureau's website. 

The CBP said it will immediately impound a catch of tuna, swordfish and other products from the entity at US ports of entry. 

Notably, it's the first time that the CBP has banned an entire fleet of fishing vessels, as opposed to individual vessels that were targeted in the past, according to media reports.

Responding to the US move, Wang said that the Chinese company has never sold anything to the US, and the US is just trying to make a fuss about the issue. "The fact is that there is no product to be detained and the so-called 'forced labor' claim is groundless," he said.

The spokesperson further noted that to his knowledge, the Chinese firm has complied with laws and rules, and it has a strict and comprehensive management mechanism, earning a good reputation in the industry.

Established in 2000, Dalian Ocean Fishing Co is a leading ultra-low temperature long-line premium tuna fishing company based in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province. It operates a fleet of 33 ultra-low temperature long-line fishing vessels, according to the company's website.

The technical standards and modernization levels of tuna fishing boats are relatively high, and the operation process is basically automated, so there is no need for labor-intensive practices, according to Wang.

The spokesperson said that the US has been fabricating lies in an attempt to unreasonably crack down on Chinese companies. 

"China firmly opposes political manipulation, and calls on the US to respect basic facts and revoke erroneous decisions," Wang said, "China will take all necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises."

Global Times