WASHINGTON : Made in Jail

An agreement to be signed in the nation’s capital Friday would ban export of Chinese prison-made goods to the United States and provide for on-site inspections to ensure compliance.

Details of the pact, which reinforces existing regulations, have not been released, and it is not clear what restrictions Beijing may have placed on inspections.

Beijing has long insisted that it already bans export of prison goods. But Western human rights organizations have shown evidence to the contrary, while U.S. officials say diesel engines, machine presses, hand tools, steel pipes and auto seat covers are among Chinese prison-made items exported to the United States in recent years.