Executive Order 13126
![]() |
Executive Order 13126 [Text] [PDF] on the "Prohibition of Acquisition of Products Produced by Forced or Indentured Child Labor," was signed on June 12, 1999. The EO is intended to ensure that federal agencies enforce laws relating to forced or indentured child labor in the procurement process. It requires the Department of Labor, in consultation with the Departments of State and Homeland Security, to publish and maintain a list of products, by country of origin, which the three Departments have a reasonable basis to believe, might have been mined, produced or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor. Under the procurement regulations implementing the Executive Order, federal contractors who supply products on a list published by the Department of Labor must certify that they have made a good faith effort to determine whether forced or indentured child labor was used to produce the items listed.
On January 18, 2001, the Department of Labor published in the Federal Register the initial EO 13126 List comprised of 11 products from two countries, as well as the Procedural Guidelines for the "Maintenance of the List of Products Requiring Federal Contractor Certification as to Forced or Indentured Child Labor" [Text] [PDF]. Also published in the January 18 Federal Register was the GSA's Federal Acquisition Regulation Final Rule [Text] [PDF] to implement the Executive Order.
Revisions to the EO 13126 List
On April 3, 2012 DOL released a Notice of Final Determination [Text] [PDF] in the Federal Register revising the list of products to add bricks from Afghanistan and coltan and cassiterite from the Democratic Republic of Congo. With this final determination, the list is comprised of 31 products from 23 countries.
On October 4, 2011 DOL published a Notice of Initial Determination [Text] [PDF] in the Federal Register proposing to add Bricks from Afghanistan and Cassiterite and Coltan from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the list. Until publication of the final determination, the current May 31, 2011 list remains valid. The notice officially requests public comment on the initial determination through December 3, 2011.
On May 31, 2011 DOL released a Notice of Final Determination [Text] [PDF] in the Federal Register updating the EO 13126 list in accordance with the Procedural Guidelines. The final determination sets forth an updated list of products, by country of origin, which DOL, DOS and DHS believe might have been mined, produced, or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor. The final determination contains a list of 21 countries and 29 products.
On December 16, 2010 DOL published a Notice of Initial Determination [Text] [PDF] proposing to add Hand-Woven Textiles from Ethiopia to the list and to remove Charcoal from Brazil from the list where, preliminarily, DOL had reason to believe that the use of forced or indentured child labor had been significantly reduced. On December 23, 2010 DOL published a correction to the December 16 initial determination.
On July 20, 2010 DOL released a Notice of Final Determination [Text] [PDF] in the Federal Register updating the EO 13126 list in accordance with the Procedural Guidelines. The final determination sets forth an updated list of products, by country of origin, which DOL, DOS and DHS believe might have been mined, produced, or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor. The final determination contains a list of 21 countries and 29 products. Additionally, the final determination provides responses to the most commonly received public comments.
On September 11, 2009 DOL published a Notice of Initial Determination [Text] [PDF] in the Federal Register announcing a proposed revision to the EO 13126 List and requesting public comment. All public comments received are available for viewing at www.regulations.gov (reference Docket ID No. DOL-2009-0002).
Current List of Products and Countries on EO 13126 List
The current list of products was published in the April 3, 2012 Federal Register and includes the following:
Product |
Countries |
Bamboo |
Burma |
Beans (green, soy, yellow) |
Burma |
Brazil Nuts/Chestnuts |
Bolivia |
Bricks |
Afghanistan, Burma, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan |
Carpets |
Nepal, Pakistan |
Cassiterite |
Democratic Republic of Congo |
Coal |
Pakistan |
Coca (stimulant plant) |
Colombia |
Cocoa |
Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria |
Coffee |
Cote d’Ivoire |
Coltan |
Democratic Republic of Congo |
Cotton |
Benin, Burkina Faso, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan |
Cottonseed (hybrid) |
India |
Diamonds |
Sierra Leone |
Electronics |
China |
Embroidered Textiles (zari) |
India, Nepal |
Garments |
Argentina, India, Thailand |
Gold |
Burkina Faso |
Granite |
Nigeria |
Gravel (crushed stones) |
Nigeria |
Pornography |
Russia |
Rice |
Burma, India, Mali |
Rubber |
Burma |
Shrimp |
Thailand |
Stones |
India, Nepal |
Sugarcane |
Bolivia, Burma |
Teak |
Burma |
Textiles (hand-woven) |
Ethopia |
Tilapia (fish) |
Ghana |
Tobacco |
Malawi |
Toys |
China |
Frequently Asked Questions
Public Submissions
On October 15, 2008, the Department of Labor released a notice in the Federal Register [Text] [PDF] requesting information from the public on the use of forced child labor in the production of bricks, coal, foundry products, chemicals, cotton, grape products, toys, and fireworks in China under Executive Order 13126. This request was made pursuant to a public submission accepted on October 1, 2007. The July 20, 2010 final determination [Text] [PDF] published in the Federal Register completes consideration of the submission.
On May 10, 2004, the Department of Labor released a Federal Register Notice [Text] [PDF] notifying the public of its intent to continue monitoring the production of cocoa in Cote d'Ivoire, as well as requesting information regarding forced child labor in the cocoa industry in Cote d'Ivoire under Executive Order 13126. This request was made pursuant to a public submission accepted on March 20, 2001. The July 20, 2010 final determination [Text] [PDF] published in the Federal Register completes consideration of the submission.
On May 12, 2003, USDOL published a Notice of Final Determination in the Federal Register [Text] [PDF] regarding forced child labor in the firecracker industry in China. The Department conducted a review pursuant to a public submission accepted on June 29, 2001.