Forced Labor

All news and posts of our editorial team on the topic

China’s lobby could prevent Xinjiang resolution
The 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva raises serious allegations against the Chinese government. But a possible resolution on human rights crimes in Xinjiang is unlikely. With years of lobbying, Beijing has rallied dozens of states to its side – and hopes that the Western coalition will begin to crumble. continue reading →
‘Forms of slavery’ in Xinjiang and Tibet
For months, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has been delaying the publication of a report on the situation of the Uyghurs in China. Now Special Rapporteur Tomoya Obokata reacted first and made serious accusations against the government in Beijing. The timing is delicate. Just last week, the People's Republic ratified two conventions against forced labor. continue reading →
H&M returns to Tmall
After more than a year of boycott, H&M is once again allowed to sell products on the Chinese e-commerce platform Tmall. The Swedish textile retailer, which has a good 14 million subscribers on Tmall, had been removed from Tmall and other online retail sites in March 2021 due to critical statements about the origin of […] continue reading →
Solar congestion at US Customs due to forced labor law
Following the introduction of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), solar products from Xinjiang are piling up at US customs. Modules with a capacity of more than three gigawatts have been delayed at the border by the agency since the end of June because importers have not yet been able to provide the necessary […] continue reading →
USA: forced labor at New Silk Road
In its annual report on human trafficking, the US State Department has condemned forced labor in China’s “New Silk Road”. Forced labor is the “hidden cost” of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the department said. Some New Silk Road projects involve violations such as:“fraudulent recruiting” with unfulfilled promises, resulting in debt bondage,arbitrary wage garnishing […] continue reading →
Majority wants clear line on Xinjiang
German consumers are growing aware of the issue of forced labor in Xinjiang. A clear majority favors an import ban on corresponding products. The German public also supports the closure of a VW plant in Urumqi. This was the result of an exclusive survey by the market research institute Civey. continue reading →
New US rules for goods from Xinjiang in force
New stricter import rules for products from Xinjiang have been in effect in the US since Tuesday. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) stipulates that importers must prove that goods or components of products from the region were not produced using forced labor (China.Table reported). Until proven, respective goods will be confiscated by US […] continue reading →
Jens Hildebrandt: ‘Who is supposed to identify forced labor in a system like China?’
This week, Brussels was supposed to present its approach to an EU supply chain law - but the presentation of the Commission's proposal was postponed. Meanwhile, the German supply chain law has been passed and will come into force in just over a year. How are companies in China preparing for implementation? There are still a lot of unanswered questions, including how human rights violations will be detected in the first place, says Jens Hildebrandt. The interview was conducted by Amelie Richter. continue reading →
EU plans ban on products made by forced labor
The EU is getting serious about banning products from forced labor: In her State of the Union speech, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen complies with demands from the European Parliament and announces a ban on imports. A new chip law is also intended to make the bloc less dependent on Asia. Von der Leyen also presented the new name for the planned European counterpart to the Chinese Silk Road. continue reading →
After Xinjiang report: Beijing closes labor rights auditor Verité
Chinese authorities have shut down the Chinese partner of US labor law auditor Verité, as the Wall Street Journal reports. This move means the Shenzhen-based company will lose its authority to advise companies on labor rights issues in Chinese factories. Verité is a Massachusetts-based company affiliated with U.S. labor law organization Verité Inc. Its clients […] continue reading →
US pushes for import ban on goods from Xinjiang
Ketchup by the popular brand Heinz labeled “Made in China” had been banned from import to the US at the beginning of the year. Many T-shirts made with cotton from Xinjiang are also blacklisted. Soon all products from Xinjiang are likely to be affected. On Wednesday, the US Senate passed a bill banning the import […] continue reading →
EU continues fight against forced labour
On Tuesday, the EU published new guidelines on identifying and dealing with forced labour in supply chains. While it does not name any countries, the EU guideline includes several key points that apply specifically to China. For example, companies are required to be aware of warning signals regarding countries that indicate forced labor. The directive […] continue reading →
Uniqlo rejects allegations of forced labour
Japanese fashion company Uniqlo has denied accusations by the French courts of benefiting from the exploitation of Uighurs in China. The company told AFP news agency, Uniqlo will “fully cooperate with investigators to reaffirm that there is no forced labor in our supply chains,”. Uniqlo referred to third-party inspections of its supply chains to prevent […] continue reading →
French courts investigate forced labor complaints
French authorities are investigating suspicions that international clothing retailers are profiting from the exploitation of Uyghurs. The Sherpa organization and two other associations had filed complaints against the companies. The accused retailers are:the Japanese Fast Retailing group, known under the Uniqlo brandInditex, which owns the Zara and Bershka brands Paris-based SMCP Group andUS shoe manufacturer […] continue reading →
Boycott hurts H&M sales
Swedish fashion company H&M has seen its sales in China plummet by 28 percent in the 1st quarter of this year. Sales fell by the equivalent of nearly $74 million in the three months of March, April, and May, as reported by Wall Street Journal. The sales decline in China remains the only one worldwide.At […] continue reading →
Allegations of forced labor at Silk Road construction sites
The G7 wants to establish a new global infrastructure initiative. The Western states are also focusing on human rights. This is intended to set them apart from China. Beijing's New Silk Road is all too often based on the exploitation of Chinese workers. The problem is that cheap labor is a competitive advantage for China that the G7 initiative can hardly make up for. continue reading →
Solar Energy Industries Association: ban forced labor from supply chain
The US Solar Energy Industries Association published a set of voluntary guidelines for solar panel manufacturers on Thursday. The aim is to ban components from forced labor abroad from the supply chain, as Reuters reports. The association is responding to repeated criticism that the basic raw material of solar modules, polysilicon, would be extracted with […] continue reading →
China as a partner with duties
Today, the European Commission will present its new trade strategy. The reorganization is necessary because the challenges it faces have become more diverse. The guidelines are not least important about China, the EU's largest trading partner – while Beijing is a possible partner on some points, ideas are far apart on others. continue reading →