A rail security watchdog is praising the Trump administration for holding up the import of components meant for the construction of MBTA railcars over allegations their manufacturing makes use of child and forced laborers.

Erik Olson, Executive Director of the Rail Security Alliance, said the administration is right to want proof from the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation that equipment they are shipping into the U.S. isn’t being made in violation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

“The Trump Administration and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol are to be commended for holding Chinese state-owned and controlled CRRC accountable to ethical and honest trade and manufacturing practices whenever they seek to operate in the United States. In 2020, RSA called on CBP for such an investigation into CRRC,” Olson said in a statement.

The security firm’s statement follows a report in Contrarian Boston that first revealed the hold and details a June 20 letter by CRRC President Zhaofu Wang. In the letter, the corporate overseer apparently acknowledges that the company’s products have been subjected to additional scrutiny by U.S. Customs agents since at least early May.

On Tuesday, a spokesperson for CRRC MA, the Bay State subsidiary of the Chinese-owned company contracted to build Orange and Red Line cars for the T, confirmed the additional screening was taking place, but denied the allegations of forced labor and said the company is working to clear up the matter.

“CRRC MA has maintained rigorous compliance reviews of all suppliers and confirms that no entity involved in these shipments is linked to any violation of The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) or use of forced labor. We take this request very seriously and have responded promptly with providing documentation to CBP to demonstrate full compliance,” spokesperson Lydia Rivera told the Herald.

According to Rivera, the holdup won’t slow down production at the CRRC plant in Springfield as the company has plenty of parts on hand for the time being.

“There are existing cars and components that will keep our workforce focused on fulfilling our contracts as we resolve this issue,” she said.

Olson said that the cars manufactured by CRRC in the United States have long been suspected of including mica mined in Africa by an “army” of children. The operation, Olson said, “has been called ‘one of the worst forms of child labor’ in the world, exploiting an estimated 86,000 children or more.”

The Chinese-government’s use of forced labor by members of the Uyghur community, Olson said, is “well-documented.” He cites a 2020 report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, which found that upwards of 80,000 Uyghurs were forced to work in Chinese factories. That report named CRRC as one of the manufacturers using forced labor.

A 2025 investigation by the New York Times and the The Bureau of Investigative Journalism confirmed much of the ASPI’s report.

“Throughout it all, CRRC has continued to reap billions of dollars in passenger train contracts — unchecked — from Boston to Los Angeles,” Olson said.

MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said the agency is aware of the situation and monitoring communications between the company and federal officials.

CRRC MA has already complied with two rounds of requests from CBP and is in the process of completing a third. In the interim, Pesaturo said the MBTA is proud of the work being done in Springfield and that rail car construction continues at pace.

“While CRRC MA and CBP work to resolve the matter, the production of new cars at the Springfield plant continues. There are enough car shells and related components at the plant to keep the production line moving at least through the end of this year,” he said.