Correspondence
Email to the company's co-founder and owner, Diana Gao. January 17, 2023: A letter with the same text as the email dated January 10 was sent by certified mail.
The email described abuses on a jigger owned by Rongcheng Wangdao, including the death of one crew member and disembarkation of a second for medical care after mistreatment on board, and multiple indicators of forced labor among the ship’s crew. It then traced squid from that vessel to the fisheries company, Rongcheng Xinhui, a supplier to C&D International. The email asked if the company had any comment in light of the information discovered in The Outlaw Ocean Project investigation.
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed C&D International Fishery: "We previously contacted C&D by mail and email in January 2023 regarding our investigation into China’s seafood processing industry and squid fishing fleet. We have additional findings to bring to your attention, as they relate to C&D’s supply chain.
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 C&D International Fishery Inc. was the consignee for multiple shipments of seafood from Dandong Hailong since 2019.
While we understand that you may not be aware of the above issues, does C&D International Fishery Inc. have any comment to make in response to this email? Can you confirm if any product sourced from Dandong Hailong has been supplied by C&D International Fishery to Foodirect, S.J. Distributors LLC, or Prime Cash and Carry since June 2019?"
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed: "We last emailed you on November 21, 2023, regarding our ongoing investigation into China’s seafood processing industry. That email said that a company in China which has exported seafood to C&D International Fishery, Dandong Hailong, has used North Korean labor since the deadline for the repatriation of overseas North Korean workers required under U.N. Security Council sanctions.
We have uncovered evidence that another Chinese company in your supply chain, Donggang Jinhui, has used North Korean labor since the expiration of that deadline in December 2019. This evidence shows North Korean labor at Donggang Jinhui’s plant in Liaoning, China, as recently as 2023. Trade records show that C&D has been the consignee for multiple shipments of squid product from Donggang Jinhui in 2023.
Does C&D have any comment to make in response to this, or our previous, email?"