As of this week, the United States will no longer be legally allowed to import over 350 goods that are produced by slave and child labor, thanks to a law President Obama signed last Wednesday.

This includes garments, gold, electronics, coffee, bricks and much more. According to the Huffington Post, those responsible for the forced labor market earn about $150 billion per year in illegal profits. Why is the U.S. only doing this now? Well, it all goes back to the Tariff Act of 1930, which gave Customs and Border Protection the authority to halt shipments where forced labor was suspected. The law was not largely enforced due to a gaping loophole, because of the words "consumptive demand.” This basically meant that if domestic supplies were low, imports were allowed in regardless of the kind of labor used. The law was only used to block a total of 39 shipments, according to the AP. Now, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act signed by Obama eliminated that language and now enforces tighter regulation on the import of goods.

According to the Department of Labor, cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, coffee, cattle and fish are the worst on the list when it comes to forced labor production. This is also a huge problem with electronics, chocolate, leather, gold—the list goes on. Sadly, many Americans have no idea that items they use on a regular basis were made from the exploitation of enslaved people, very often a child or woman. A handful of companies have recently become more transparent about their products, largely due to pressure by organizations and informed consumers. Studies have shown that consumers are willing to pay more for items made using fair labor practices, and companies are rapidly responding.

Today, over 29 million people live under these types of work conditions, according to Made in A Free World. Fifty-five percent of those are women, and 26 percent are children. In Uzbek alone, 1.4 million children have been forced to work in cotton fields. That’s more children than in the entire New York City public school system. Made in A Free World organization also has a “slavery footprint" calculator—guaranteed to be a harsh awakening for most consumers. The organization wrote in their blog that the improvement of the Tariff Act "is real and should be celebrated. But the Made In A Free World Community won’t stop until every product we buy is protected from slavery."

With our government responding to this international crisis, what can consumers do? Be aware. Also, taking it upon ourselves to seek out stores and brands that use just, fair, sustainable, forms of labor. Then, spreading the knowledge.

The Department of Labor compiled a list of goods that were produced by means of slave and/or child labor, in an effort to raise consumer awareness. They have updated the list every year since 2009. Though, it does not include specific companies or brand names. Organizations like Polaris, Food Empowerment Project, Not For Sale, and many others exist for this very problem of eradicating these forms of modern slavery. Free2Work, a partner of Not For Sale, releases an annual report called “The Truth Behind the Barcode: Apparel Industry Trends,” which ranks 300 apparel brands to address child and forced labor in their supply chains. Brands on the list include Abercrombie and Fitch, Kmart, Nike and many other Australian and American clothing companies. Students and youth have taken bold action in recent years and stood in solidarity with workers who have lost their lives, such as Emerson College’s P.R.I.D.E. Also contributing to the cause is United Students Against Sweatshops, largely in response to the tragic Rana Plaza Factory Collapse in Bangladesh in 2013. Mobile apps can also be used as empowering tools for consumers to reduce the demand for slave-made items and spread awareness.

Word choice and meaning are also important. If you have ever seen #crueltyfree in a caption of a photo of fruits and vegetables, then you know what I mean. YouTuber A Privileged Vegan actively looks at social justice and oppression through the lens of veganism in order to highlight these misconceptions. One of her videos examines the banana industry and explains exactly why it is not “cruelty-free” just because bananas aren’t an animal product and by using those words, people are dismissing the fact that enslaved workers are abused and underpaid on banana plantations. When awareness is spread, consumers are able to put their money towards more ethical alternatives. And where our money goes, corporations go.

The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act will take effect by Thursday, March 10. It will affect imports from about 74 different countries around the world and is a great step forward in ending the loophole that allowed slave-made products to enter the U.S.