AFP extension
ANNOUNCEMENTS•
Chinese fashion brand Shein, the world’s largest clothing company, uses cotton from the Chinese province of Xinjiang. That to conclude investigative journalists of the American news agency Bloomberg. In the Chinese region, Uyghurs are severely oppressed and forced to work.
In March and July of this year, reporters ordered two packages of clothing from Shein’s online store and shipped them to a workshop in Germany. There, a so-called isotope study was carried out in the cotton fibers. This research can be used to determine the climatic characteristics of the area where the cotton is grown. The study results matched samples previously taken in Xinjiang.
Uyghurs are a Muslim minority in western China. Chinese government commits “gross human rights violations” in Xinjiang against Uyghurs, said the United Nations last August. Human rights organization Human Rights Watch evidence found of mass incarceration in “re-education camps”, of torture and rape.
The Uyghurs themselves talk about it forced sterilization one above forced labor, even in cotton fields and textile mills. The House approved the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang last year as genocide labeled. China denies committing crimes against the Muslim minority.
Not just Chinese brands
Rumors have circulated for years that Chinese fast-fashion companies like Shein use cotton harvested or processed by Uyghur forced laborers. According to Bloomberg, their sampling results are “the first public evidence” of Xinjiang cotton usage.
Shein doesn’t deny to Bloomberg that the cotton comes from the region, but says his own checks show it’s not a “labor law violation.” She also says she takes allegations of forced labor very seriously.
Incidentally, it’s not just Chinese brands that work with Xinjiang cotton. China is the largest cotton producer in the world. For international companies buying from China, it is often unclear where exactly the cotton comes from. Last year, the French authorities started an investigation to the use of Xinjiang cotton by Inditex (parent company of Zara, among others) and Uniqlo, among others. Both fashion companies deny using cotton that involved forced labor.
Strict import rules
The fact that cotton from the Chinese region in question has now been found in the United States is painful for the US government. President Biden’s administration took over last June enact a law which should prevent the importation of Chinese products made with forced labor.
However, Shein has almost nothing to do with the so-called Uyghur Law on the Prevention of Forced Labor. Only shipments over $800 in value are required to be inspected by US Customs by law for a forced labor liaison. The orders US consumers place with Shein tend to be much less value.
Shein generates a third of its sales in the United States, according to Bloomberg. The brand is also very popular in Europe, especially among young women. The clothing company’s estimated value is currently around $100 billion.
