LONDON - Brands and retailers have been distancing themselves from cotton grown in the Xinjiang region of China amidst growing concern over the use of forced labour by Uyghur Muslim prisoners.
The End Uyghur Forced Labour coalition of nearly 200 organisations from 36 countries this week urged brands to cut all ties with suppliers implicated in forced labour within 12 months.
It said "credible investigations and reports" suggested major brands were tainted by forced labour in their supply chains including Adidas, Amazon, C&A, Calvin Klein (PVH), Gap, H&M, IKEA, Marks & Spencer, Nike, Patagonia, Ralph Lauren, Puma, Tommy Hilfiger (PVH), Uniqlo (Fast Retailing) and Zara (Inditex).
