Correspondence
Email sent to the contact address for Ande Foods (USA).
The email said: "I’m contacting you in light of our latest investigation which concerns the use of forced labor in China’s food processing industry, and a link we’ve discovered between a company engaged in such practices and your supply chain – Dandong Hailong Foodstuff. We have uncovered evidence that Dandong Hailong Foodstuff used North Korean labor after the December 2019 deadline for the repatriation of overseas North Korean workers required under United Nations Security Council sanctions. Furthermore, under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), passed in 2017, the U.S. prohibits the import of any goods produced by North Korean nationals unless clear and convincing evidence is provided that indicates the materials were not made with forced labor. This evidence shows North Korean labor at Dandong Hailong Foodstuff’s factory in Liaoning, China, as recently as 2023. Trade data seen by The Outlaw Ocean Project shows that Ande Foods (USA) Inc. was the consignee for dozens of shipments of seafood from Dandong Hailong since 2017. While we understand that you may not be aware of the above issues, does Ande Foods have any comment to make in response to this email? Can you confirm if any product sourced from Dandong Hailong has been supplied by Ande Foods to Sunrise International Market, S.J. Distributors LLC, Evergreen Supply Company, or Leopard USA Corp. since August 2017?"