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KUALA LUMPUR (December 31): The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) said today that it has launched an immediate investigation into new violations by Sime Darby Plantation Bhd, as alleged by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ) from the US Upon issuance of a hold, issue an order against the company’s palm oil at all US ports of entry.
In a statement today, the RSPO said it can confirm that an initial review of the audit findings earlier this year did not raise any red flags against the Sime Darby plantation.
“We have independent auditors to detect violations of this nature and, to date, no non-conformities have been identified in any certified Sime Darby Plantation. We have initiated an immediate investigation into these new violations cited by CBP and would welcome any specific details. that they or their researchers can share beyond generic information in the media.
“The RSPO has zero tolerance for the practices described in the CBP press release,” the RSPO said.
CBP said in a statement late yesterday that effective December 30, its staff at all U.S. ports of entry will stop palm oil and palm oil-containing products produced by Sime Darby Plantation and its subsidiaries, joint ventures and affiliated entities in Malaysia.
“The issuance of a detention order against the palm oil of Sime Darby Plantation is based on information that reasonably indicates the presence of the 11 indicators of forced labor of the International Labor Organization in the production process of Sime Darby Plantation”, CBP said.
The RSPO claims that its certification, with its independent third-party accredited audit, offers the best global system for monitoring the agricultural sector where regulatory governance is still developing.
The RSPO said it is committed to improving its systems to monitor member plantations more consistently.
RSPO Executive Director-designate Beverley Postma said in the statement: “We are deeply concerned to learn of the actions taken against Sime Darby Plantation and have launched an immediate investigation.”
“We condemn the use of forced labor or any other form of modern slavery on any plantation, certified or uncertified. Human rights violations remain one of the most difficult challenges for all agricultural and industrial sectors operating in low-income communities. revenue and we are committed to scaling up reinforcing our collaboration between governments, civil society, and business to address the root causes of these issues while increasing monitoring and compliance with our standards.
“The RSPO once again calls on the US government and CBP to work with all relevant partners to conduct a full risk assessment of the impact any sanctions will have on these vulnerable populations and to work in conjunction with the Malaysian government towards a positive outcome that enables both countries to meet their commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, ”Postma said.
In Bursa Malaysia today, the Sime Darby Plantation share price settled at 17 sen or 3.29% at RM5 during the 12:30 pm break for a market value of approximately RM34.4 billion. The stock has been trading between RM5.10 and RM4.95 so far.
Read also:
US Blocks Palm Oil Imports From Sime Darby Plantation Over Forced Labor Allegations
US Customs Did Not Give Sime Darby Plantation A Chance To Defend Against Forced Labor Claims – Minister
Sime Darby Plantation Says He Is Studying US Custom’s Action To Understand The Impact
MPOCC Expresses Concern Over US Import Ban from Sime Darby Plantation
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