More and more fashion companies are being investigated for possible links to Uyghur forced labor. A new report from Britain’s Sheffield Hallam University and Uyghur advocacy groups links 39 fashion brands to forced labor from the Xinjiang region. In this region, a Muslim minority, the Uighurs, are forced to work under pressure from the Chinese government.
First the background: According to experts, there are indications that the Uyghur Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region is being put into labor camps. Xinjiang is a region with many textile factories where a lot of cotton is produced. Exactly how many people are doing forced labor is uncertain. Estimates range from half a million to several million. Not only Uighurs are put to work in these camps and prisons, but also people from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and North Korea.
Due to the connection between Uyghur forced labor and cotton and textiles, there is also a connection to fashion companies. For several years there have been reports of major fashion brands working with products and cotton from the Xinjiang region. In recent years, companies such as Bestseller, H&M, Nike, Hugo Boss, C&A, State of Art, Patagonia, Shein, Ralph Lauren, Levi’s and Diesel have already been confronted with allegations and investigations. The fashion companies then often say that they have no evidence of wrongdoing in the supply chain, but that they would fully cooperate with the investigation. So it’s not just low-price chains, luxury brands are also facing the allegations.
When reports of a possible connection emerge, brands sometimes explicitly distance themselves from the region. In 2021, both H&M and Nike said they would not use cotton from the Chinese province due to concerns about forced labor. However, in exchange for this decision, both brands faced boycotts from China. Several Chinese influencers called for a boycott of the chains, and videos of the brands’ products being burned even appeared online.
Investigations against Uighur forced laborers are being intensified
Not only European institutions, but also Canada’s market regulator, for example, are conducting investigations into possible links to forced labor. The US already bans imports of cotton and other products from Xinjiang. In practice, banning products made using forced labor is often more difficult than hoped. This is partly due to the complex production chains that fashion companies have. Because they work with multiple suppliers and subcontractors, working conditions need to be monitored at many different locations. Despite the US ban on imports of products from Xinjiang, there is a “loophole” here. According to Bloomberg research, Shein can continue to introduce products originating in Xinjiang because the brand sells the clothing at such low prices that deliveries to customers are almost always under the $800 threshold. Above this value limit, there is an obligation to report to the US customs authorities and border protection.
According to investigators in the new British report, it is difficult to conduct independent inspections of suppliers in Xinjiang because of the Chinese government’s tight grip on the region. The supplier companies would often change their name and company structure. The European Commission wants to use a new law to ensure that companies are obliged to examine their production chain and improve grievances. This law is specifically about human rights and environmental impacts.
In addition, the European Commission has put forward a proposal to ban products made using forced labor from entering the EU market. This proposal applies to all products, regardless of whether they are manufactured in the EU or imported. If, after an investigation, it is determined that forced labor is involved, the products will be withdrawn from the market and an import ban will be imposed. According to researchers at Sheffield Hallam University, such a regulation is very important and the EU should introduce it.
This post originally appeared on FashionUnited.nl. Translated and edited by Simone Preuss.