52.222-19 Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies
Source: FAR 52.222-19 on acquisition.gov
If FAR 52.222-19 applies, contractors must be able to prove their products are free from forced or indentured child labor and fully cooperate with investigations or risk termination, suspension, and debarment.
Overview
- FAR 52.222-19 requires contractors to cooperate with Government investigations into whether products furnished under a contract were mined, produced, or manufactured using forced or indentured child labor.
- The clause supports enforcement of U.S. laws restricting such products and establishes serious contractual remedies for false certifications, non-cooperation, and actual use or supply of products involving prohibited child labor.
Key Rules
- Applicability and country-based exceptions
- The clause does not apply to certain end products from specified countries when the acquisition meets stated thresholds: Israel ($50,000 or more), Mexico ($105,767 or more), and a listed group of trade-agreement countries and economies ($174,000 or more).
- Cooperation with Authorities
- If the solicitation includes FAR 52.222-18 or 52.212-3(i), the contractor must fully cooperate with authorized officials by providing reasonable access to records, documents, persons, or premises upon reasonable request.
- Violations and remedies
- Violations include false child-labor certifications, failure to cooperate with investigations, use of forced or indentured child labor in production, and furnishing end products or components made wholly or partly with such labor.
- Available remedies include contract termination, suspension, and debarment for up to 3 years under FAR subpart 9.4.
Responsibilities
- Contracting Officers: include the clause as prescribed, assess violations, and may terminate the contract.
- Contractors: ensure certifications are accurate, avoid prohibited labor practices, and cooperate fully with investigations.
- Agencies: investigate suspected violations and coordinate with Treasury, Justice, and suspension/debarment officials.
Practical Implications
- This clause creates significant supply-chain compliance risk for contractors furnishing listed end products or components.
- Contractors should validate sourcing, maintain supporting records, and prepare to respond quickly to Government inquiries.
- Common pitfalls include relying on unsupported supplier assurances, incomplete documentation, and misunderstanding the limited country/threshold exceptions.
As prescribed in 22.1505(b), insert the following clause:
Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (Mar 2026)
(a) Applicability. This clause does not apply to the extent that the Contractor is supplying end products mined, produced, or manufactured in-
(1) Israel, and the anticipated value of the acquisition is $50,000 or more;
(2) Mexico, and the anticipated value of the acquisition is $105,767 or more; or
(3) Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, or the United Kingdom and the anticipated value of the acquisition is $174,000 or more.
(b) Cooperation with Authorities. To enforce the laws prohibiting the manufacture or importation of products mined, produced, or manufactured by forced or indentured child labor, authorized officials may need to conduct investigations to determine whether forced or indentured child labor was used to mine, produce, or manufacture any product furnished under this contract. If the solicitation includes the provision 52.222-18, Certification Regarding Knowledge of Child Labor for Listed End Products, or the equivalent at 52.212-3(i), the Contractor agrees to cooperate fully with authorized officials of the contracting agency, the Department of the Treasury, or the Department of Justice by providing reasonable access to records, documents, persons, or premises upon reasonable request by the authorized officials.
(c) Violations. The Government may impose remedies set forth in paragraph (d) for the following violations:
(1) The Contractor has submitted a false certification regarding knowledge of the use of forced or indentured child labor for listed end products.
(2) The Contractor has failed to cooperate, if required, in accordance with paragraph (b) of this clause, with an investigation of the use of forced or indentured child labor by an Inspector General, Attorney General, or the Secretary of the Treasury.
(3) The Contractor uses forced or indentured child labor in its mining, production, or manufacturing processes.
(4) The Contractor has furnished under the contract end products or components that have been mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part by forced or indentured child labor. (The Government will not pursue remedies at paragraph (d)(2) or paragraph (d)(3) of this clause unless sufficient evidence indicates that the Contractor knew of the violation.)
(d) Remedies.
(1) The Contracting Officer may terminate the contract.
(2) The suspending and debarring official may suspend the Contractor in accordance with procedures in FAR subpart 9.4.
(3) The suspending and debarring may debar the Contractor for a period not to exceed 3 years in accordance with the procedures in FAR subpart 9.4.
(End of clause)