Tomato products from Xinjiang were designated by the US as ‘high-risk’ under the Uygur Forced Labour Prevention Act, but the industry has proved remarkably resilient, mainly because it does not rely on the American market.
Trucks crossing the border of China’s far west Xinjiang have plummeted over the past 18 months, mirroring a broader decline of exports in regional gross domestic product.
The US earlier this year banned cotton and tomato products from Xinjiang over alleged human rights violations, but the province remains a major agricultural base.