- On 29 January 2026, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) against coffee harvested by Finca Monte Grande, a Mexican coffee farm in Chiapas. This is the first WRO issued in 2026.
- The WRO cites six ILO forced labour indicators: abuse of vulnerability, withholding of wages, retention of identity documents, excessive overtime, debt bondage and abusive working conditions. In its CSMS bulletin, CBP also alleges forced child labour at the farm, but this was not included in the WRO press release.
- Evidence supporting the WRO included interview transcripts, interview questionnaires, reporting by international organisations and NGOs, as well as open-source media reporting.
- CBP has not disclosed the underlying evidence in this case, and there appears to be limited public reporting on labour rights violations at Finca Monte Grande.
- Coffee from Mexico is not included in the US DOL List of Goods Produced by Child or Forced Labor for forced labour; it is included for child labour.
US CBP Issues WRO against Finca Monte Grande (Mexico)
10.02.2026
