Built to Compete: What U.S. Businesses Need to Eliminate Labor Abuse in Global Supply Chains
This week, I was honored to moderate an event at the United States Department of Labor regarding the release of tools that arm U.S. businesses to crush unfair competition and protect American jobs. President Trump’s America First agenda has always been crystal clear: put American workers and American industries first. No more letting foreign competitors rig the game with child labor, forced labor, and slave-like conditions while our factories (many in my home state of South Carolina) close and wages stagnate.
The United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) just delivered a powerful set of voluntary self-assessment tools to do exactly that. Launched this week, LaborShield, ImportWatch, Sourcing Strong, and the Supply Chain Traceability Portal give American companies the intelligence and know-how they need to root out exploitative labor practices in their global supply chains, before those tainted goods undercut our workers and flood our markets.
These tools aren’t Big Government mandates or bureaucratic red tape. They are practical, free, business friendly resources designed to level the playing field so that U.S. manufacturers, farmers, and entrepreneurs can compete and win against countries that cheat by exploiting workers. In an America First economy, we don’t surrender good-paying American jobs to nations that treat people like disposable parts. We fight back with information, transparency and strength.
Here's what each tool does for American businesses:
Labor Shield is a mobile app that delivers real-time alerts on labor abuses in over 145 countries. The tool works offline, right on the factory floor or in the field. No more guessing whether your suppliers are clean.
ImportWatch cross-references ILAB’s data on forced and child labor with actual U.S. import statistics before they hit our shores.
SourcingStrong walks companies of any size through building ironclad due-diligence systems, including supplier checks and compliance roadmaps, providing everything needed to stay ahead of the law and the competition.
Supply Chain Traceability Portal maps deeper tiers of production where the worst abuses hide, giving businesses visibility far beyond their direct suppliers.
Together, these tools help companies comply with laws like the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, avoid costly seizures by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and build resilient chains that can’t be disrupted by scandal or enforcement actions. Best of all, they are voluntary and confidential.
Why does this matter for every American who believes in putting American workers first? Because foreign labor abuse isn’t just some distant human rights issue, it’s an economic weapon aimed straight at U.S. workers. When Chinese and other foreign producers use forced labor to slash costs, they dump cheap goods into our markets, which has shuttered American plants and can suppress wages here at home. ILAB’s tools stop that cold by giving our businesses the date edge they need to source clean, compete fairly, and most importantly, reshore jobs back to American soil.
As Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling put it at the launch “American workers should never lose out because foreign competitors cut corners, exploit labor, and rig the system. These new self-assessment tools put power back where it belongs, with American businesses, so they can spot risks early, fix problems fast, and build competitive resilient supply chains. Strong due diligence and clear standards protect American jobs and American industry, leveling the playing field for American workers. We owe them nothing less.”
That’s the America First spirit in action. These tools don’t just protect brands or reduce risk; they defend the dignity of American labor by refusing to let exploited foreign workers become the unfair advantage that kills our jobs. They reinforce the Trump administration’s commitment to fair trade that actually benefits our citizens, not communist regimes or globalist elites.
Critics who call this “overreach” miss the point entirely. The real overreach was decades of hollow enforcement that let unfair trade hollow out our industrial heartland. ILAB’s approach is the opposite: smart, pro-business, pro-worker and laser focused on results. American companies that use these tools aren’t just checking a box, they are fortifying their operations, safeguarding their reputation and contributing to a stronger, more self-reliant United States. In a world of cutthroat global competition, ignorance is surrender.
The U.S. Department of Labor ILAB tools deliver the intelligence that American businesses need to dominate. For anyone who believes that American workers should come first (not last), this is exactly the kind of practical, no-nonsense innovation we need more of. Businesses large and small should download these ILAB tools today. Our economy, our security, and our future demand nothing less.
—Martha Newton, Founder & Principal, Fifth Fundamental
