‘Substantial volume’ of clothing tied to Uyghur forced labour entering EU, says study
The report identifies dozens of well-known brands as having “significant ties” to Xinjiang, via Chinese companies involved in forced labour transfer programmes.
Tailoring Responsibility: Tracing Apparel Supply Chains from the Uyghur Region to Europe
This report provides critical insight into how forced labour-made apparel is moving from the Uyghur Region into high-street and high-end brands operating and selling within the EU.
Uniqlo, Zara owners face new Paris lawsuit over Uyghur forced labor
Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing, Zara owner Inditex and Skechers are among the retailers facing fresh allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang and other parts of China in a new lawsuit filed by The European Uyghur Institute in Paris.
Uyghurs for Sale: ‘Re-education’, forced labour and surveillance beyond Xinjiang
(First published 1 March 2020) The Chinese government has facilitated the mass transfer of Uyghur and other ethnic minority citizens from the far west region of Xinjiang to factories across the country. Under conditions that strongly suggest forced labour, Uyghurs are working in factories that are in the supply chains of at least 82 well-known global brands in the technology, clothing and automotive sectors, including Apple, BMW, Gap, Huawei, Nike, Samsung, Sony and Volkswagen.
Zara, Uniqlo and Skechers Investigated Over Alleged Uyghur Forced Labor
Leading fashion brands are facing a French probe over allegations they profited from exploiting forced labor in the Chinese Uyghur community to manufacture their products. A French prosecutor’s office started the investigation last month looking at accusations that Claudie Pierlot parent SMCP SA, Zara owner Inditex SA, Skechers and Uniqlo profited from human rights crimes against the Muslim ethnic group, according to an official from the French Prosecution Office.
France investigates fashion brands over forced Uyghur labour claims
French prosecutors have opened an investigation into four multinational fashion retailers on suspicion of concealing and profiting from crimes against humanity in China’s Xinjiang region by sourcing goods produced using forced Uyghur labour. Judicial sources confirmed to French media on Friday the investigation concerned Uniqlo France, owned by Fast Retailing; Inditex, which owns Zara and Bershka; SMCP, the owner of the French fashion labels Sandro and Maje; and the footwear company Skechers.
There’s a good chance your cotton T-shirt was made with Uyghur slave labor
China is by many measures now the world’s largest economy, and in the wake of this boycott, major global apparel companies including Inditex and PVH have removed policies against forced labor from their websites. So far these companies are in the minority, but they own global brands such as Zara, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein. As long as there is a market for goods sourced from the Uyghur region, the Chinese government will be emboldened to keep operating the mass detention camps where Uyghur people are being held in indentured servitude.
Why Chinese shoppers are boycotting H&M, Nike, and other major retailers
Chinese consumers, e-commerce sites, and social media platforms are boycotting prominent international retailers, such as H&M, Nike, and Uniqlo, in the wake of sanctions against the Chinese government, backed by the United States, the European Union, Britain, and Canada.
What Is Going On With China, Cotton and All of These Clothing Brands?
Last week, calls for the cancellation of H&M and other Western brands went out across Chinese social media as human rights campaigns collided with cotton sourcing and political gamesmanship. Here's what you need to know about what's going on and how it may affect everything from your T-shirts to your trench coats.
How brands are responding to China’s Xinjiang boycotts: deleting past statements or all-out flip-flops
Some of the world’s largest apparel companies are facing an unprecedented reckoning in China as state media outlets and social media campaigns call for consumer boycotts in protest of the brands previously saying they were concerned about reports that China uses forced labor to produce cotton in its Xinjiang province. Now, some companies are deleting those statements or telling different stories about their products depending on whether the audience is Western or Chinese.
Inditex accused of turning a blind eye amid rising tensions in China boycott crisis
On Thursday, China, backed by the Chinese government itself, started retaliating against the Western boycott of cotton produced in the ‘Uyghur labor camps’ of Xinjiang, calling for its own boycott against international fashion companies. The boycott primarily affected Swedish retail giant H&M on Thursday, but is now also being launched against the parent companies of Nike, Adidas and Uniqlo, which decided to stop using cotton sourced in Xinjiang in their apparel, in light of the recent accusations of human rights violations by the Chinese authorities.
Nike, Adidas join brands feeling Chinese social media heat over Xinjiang
Nike and Adidas came under attack on Chinese social media on Thursday over past comments the fashion brands have made about labour conditions in Xinjiang, part of a diplomatic row between China and the West.
Here’s what foreign brands have to say about Xinjiang
Nike. The Gap. Uniqlo. Major clothing and footwear brands are under attack in China after Europe, the U.S. and other countries sanctioned Chinese officials this week over alleged human rights abuses. The companies, under pressure from activists, have tried to distance themselves from reports of forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. Such statements have drawn attacks from state media and others.
Under pressure in China, Zara deleted a statement about Xinjiang
Until yesterday, Zara’s parent company, Inditex, had a statement on its website stating the company’s zero-tolerance policy for forced labor and that it did not have relationships with any factories in Xinjiang. As of this writing, Inditex’s statement has been removed.