Australia's new anti-slavery commissioner has called on the government to urgently address "inadequacy" of forced labor laws, following reports that Australia is allowing thousands of products to be imported from Chinese companies blacklisted for alleged links to Uyghur workers.

Australia has imported thousands of products from Chinese companies blacklisted by the United States over alleged links to Uyghur forced labor, Guardian Australia revealed on Monday.

Details gleaned from trade records obtained by the Guardian through freedom of information laws show eight US blacklisted companies were listed as suppliers in 3,347 declarations submitted by Australian importers.

It is the first time the scale of Australia's trade with blacklisted companies has been revealed and has sparked anger among the country's Uyghur community, whose relatives have been detained in the Chinese Communist Party's crackdown on ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.

Former federal Labor minister Chris Evans began serving as the country's first anti-slavery commissioner last month.

He told the Guardian the disclosures showed "Australia's current approach to addressing the risks of modern slavery in supply chains is insufficient".

"While the government's commitment to reform is welcome, the pace of implementation remains concerning given the seriousness of these human rights abuses," Evans said.

"Many businesses have been looking for clearer guidance to help address this issue. No business can tackle this level of complexity alone. However, these findings suggest that many are simply ignoring the facts and relying on outdated strategies that are not fit for purpose. It's clear that both governments and businesses must do more, and we have to start now."

The revelations have also prompted renewed calls for Australia to impose an import ban on any goods produced using forced or child labor, something Labor has pledged to do in its 2021 national platform.

Leading NGO coalition Break Free from Slavery said trade records may only "scratch the surface" of the true extent of Australia's imports of goods linked to forced labour.

The organization's co-director Carolyn Kitto said the technology existed to allow Australia to identify and restrict the import of such goods.

"What it really takes is the will to do it," she said. "If they can't work out the models and processes, we can help them. The tools are there. It's a no-brainer for Australia and it's a no-brainer for the world."

In releasing details of the trade to the Guardian, the Australian Border Force declined to release the names of Australian importers dealing with US blacklisted companies.

Kitto said this prevents consumers from making informed choices to avoid purchasing goods linked to forced labour.

"The government's approach is that civil society and consumers have a responsibility to push for what they call 'race to the top' to end modern slavery," she said. "We would like to say that the government also has a role to play in the race to end modern slavery."

The Biden administration passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in 2021 and began banning imports from dozens of companies that were publicly blacklisted the following year.

Australia has not followed its allies in introducing a ban, despite proposals from former senator Rex Patrick. In fact, FoI documents show that imports from the eight blacklisted companies actually increased after the US ban was imposed, peaking in 2023.

The companies sell a range of products including car batteries and train parts for state governments, safety gear for tradesmen, spices and food additives and laser printers.

Australia currently uses the Modern Slavery Act to force some large businesses to report annually on how forced labor is dealt with in their supply chains and operations.

The federal government recently pledged to strengthen these laws. Proposed reforms include better guidance and support for businesses and consultation on a model for written declarations where specific areas, industries, products or suppliers are deemed to be at high risk of modern slavery.

In November, the government appointed Evans as Australia's first anti-slavery commissioner.