U.S. to block imports from Malaysian palm oil company FGV

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – The United States will ban the import of palm oil products from Malaysian company FGV Holdings over allegations that it used forced labour in the production process, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said on Wednesday.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it will issue a ‘withhold release order’, which will allow it to detain shipments based on suspicion of forced labor involvement under longstanding U.S. laws aimed at combating human trafficking, child labor and other human rights abuses.

(Reporting by Liz Lee and David Lawder, editing by Louise Heavens)