The days of getting by on paper trails and certificates are over. Until recently, cotton traceability solutions have been adopted by a narrow subset of brands, but many more firms are feeling pressure to get on board.

One reason is the looming June 21 implementation date of the “rebuttable presumption” standard of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act that applies to all articles produced in whole or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Companies are anxious for off-the-shelf solutions to comply.

To get detained merchandise released by Customs and Border Protection under the new law, importers will need to prove they followed due diligence expectations and also provided clear and convincing evidence that a product is free from forced labor. And importers must do all that within 30 days, according to the latest briefings by CBP. It goes without saying — and CBP has actually already said it — the barrier to pass these tests will be very high.