United States
Background
The United States does not have a current national plan to combat human trafficking, however during the first Trump administration a national plan was issued by The White House on October 2020. A national plan was also issued by the Biden administration in December 2021. For the purposes of this platform, the national plan issued by the first Trump administration has been used.
National plans have also been issued by the Department of Justice (2022), the Department of Homeland Security (2020), United States Trade Representative (2025) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2022).
The Department of Homeland Security leads efforts to combat human trafficking via the Center for Countering Human Trafficking and Forced Labor (CCHT). However, the Department of Justice, United States Trade Representative, Department of State, Department of Labor, Departments of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), Treasury (also the Financial Crime Enforcement Network within Treasury), U.S. Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) all have considerable programs of anti-human trafficking activities. Until recently, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) also managed considerable funds and programs and this has now become part of the Department of State Office of Foreign Assistance.
An annual report is published by CCHT but there is regular reporting by other departments, agencies and offices.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection provides an ongoing dashboard of action taken against corporations and other entities for the import of goods in the U.S. made with forced labour.
The United States pursues criminal enforcement against corporations benefiting from exploitation in supply chains via the CCHT. In 2021, Homeland Security Investigations investigated Goodyear Tire and Rubber and Goodyear Malaysia Berhad for forced labor.
Data on victims, perpetrators, trade and illicit funds is publicly available and accessible.
The United States has extremely complex and diverse supply chains and has used a number of mechanisms from various departments to address exploitation.
FinCEN actively monitors financial transactions of monies relating to human trafficking.
Budgets showing dedicated funding allocations are publicly available and accessible.
Other Key Factors
The United States spending currently exceeds any other government, except India, in combating human trafficking.
It has developed a number of mechanisms to address the issue internationally. For example, the USMCA Rapid Response Mechanism and the use of import bans (Withhold Release Orders) by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Trade.
Previously, USAID provided substantial funding for overseas actions to combat human trafficking but was recently restructured. It is unclear whether this funding will return.
Freedom of association and collective bargaining are lawful and active.
Wage theft is an issue in the United States.
The United Stated experiences considerable challenges with trafficking across its southern border.
To understand the US’s situation more fully, we show the percentage of the population using the internet in the US, along with the highest usage and lowest usage countries amongst the G20 members (Saudi Arabia and India).
The US’s remittances are also shown. The US is the highest outflow remittance country in the G20, so we show its outflow volume in perspective with the second highest outflow country and lowest outflow country in the G20(Saudi Arabia /Philippines). Its inflow remittance volume is shown with highest and lowest inflow countries in the G20 (India/Saudi Arabia). Keep in mind that remittance estimates are often an under count of actual remittance volume.(Graph unit is in Billion US$)
US’s Role in the Global Economy and Its Supply Chains
Trade flows from The Observatory of Economic Complexity. Remittance data are from the World Bank.