Based on a report from the Center for Global Policy and corroborated by Reuters and others, a number of international media have been reporting the issue of forced labour of the Uighur population in the cultivation and processing of cotton in Xinjiang province, a source of around one-fifth of world cotton production.  Media reports have been published over the last 6 months alleging that 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).

It has been argued by representatives of the apparel industry that the scale of the issue is such that the consequences could disrupt the global apparel supply chain. Indeed, once cotton from the region is mingled with cotton from other sources, it could show up in final products made all over the world including Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Kenya and even Haiti and Centra America. Now the BBC has published video footage which would appear to confirm the link between large detention centres and huge factory production sites in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.

M&S in the UK has been targeted partly because it is large but also because it publicly prioritises “ethical buying” as part of its brand and image. Boohoo, H&M and Nike have recently denied using cotton produced by forced labour.

reuters: UK to big brands: do more to avoid forced labour in China's Xinjiang

[video] BBC News: New evidence of Uighur forced labour in China’s cotton industry

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