Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) (PL 106-386), issued the following statement upon the release of the State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report:

                “The 2026 TIP Report is a stark reminder that modern-day slavery remains a global scourge—and that governments must be held accountable when they fail to protect vulnerable people.

                “China remains on Tier 3—the lowest ranking—reflecting its continued failure to meet the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) use and enabling of forced labor—including the systematic exploitation of Uyghurs and other persecuted minorities—is deeply troubling and deserves the greatest level of scrutiny.

                “Moreover, the horrific, ongoing consequences of China’s one-child per couple policy can still be seen and felt today, as the Report notes that a gross disparity—tens of millions more boys than girls—has driven the demand for commercial sex trafficking and coercive marriages in the country.

                “Additionally, Hong Kong’s drop to Tier 3 is yet another serious warning sign about the erosion of protections against trafficking under Beijing’s increasingly authoritarian rule.

                “Other governments also moved in the wrong direction. The Republic of the Congo fell to Tier 3, while Seychelles dropped from Tier 1 to Tier 2. These downgrades should be a wake-up call to their governments that failing to protect victims and hold traffickers accountable has severe consequences.

                “Thankfully, the report recognizes meaningful progress as well. Israel and Ghana moved up to Tier 1, and Papua New Guinea improved from Tier 3 to the Tier 2 Watch List. These changes show that governments can make real progress when they strengthen enforcement, protect victims, and take anti-trafficking initiatives seriously.

                “Governments on Tier 3—including China, North Korea, Iran, Russia, Burma, Belarus, Cambodia, Cuba, Laos, Nicaragua, Sudan, South Sudan, and Venezuela—can and must do more. Tier 3 must never become a permanent designation; it should serve as a dire warning and a call to action.

                “Human trafficking is an assault on human dignity and freedom, and the United States must continue to use every tool at its disposal—including the TIP Report—to expose human trafficking whenever it rears its ugly head, protect survivors, and press foreign governments to end this blight upon humanity.”

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