US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reiterated the continued restriction on SDP following remarks by plantation industries and commodities minister Zuraida Kamaruddin earlier today that there were “no restrictions” on SDP’s products by the agency.

“The assertion made is not true. The Sime Darby withhold release order (WRO) is still in effect,” a spokesman for CBP said in an email to FMT.

Zuraida had earlier said SDP’s issue was being resolved and was in the process of “settlement”, adding that “for SDP, there are no (restrictions)”.

In December 2020, CBP announced a ban on palm oil and products containing palm oil produced by SDP and its subsidiaries, following allegations of forced labour practices.

Yesterday, human resources minister M Saravanan said a labour department investigation had found no breach of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) 11 indicators of forced labour.

Former minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar said the US and the UK should not lecture Malaysia on forced labour issues as historically, the two countries had worse records.

He also claimed the US ban on palm oil produced by SDP was a “white man’s game” intended to stop Malaysia from exporting its commodities abroad.

An SDP spokesman said it expected to receive an independent assessment report by the end of this month on the issue of forced labour.

“We are also continuing to engage with the CBP,” the spokesman said.