Shein: US parliamentarians warn about the brand and the work of the Uyghurs

2023-05-02 20:02:20

They demand more transparency from the ultra fast fashion group, suspected of profiting from the forced labor of a minority in China. A group of US lawmakers has asked the Wall Street policeman to demand an independent investigation into Shein, a Chinese online clothing retailer, and the work of Uyghurs if it were listed in New York.

Founded in 2008 in China and currently based in Singapore, Shein has become one of the symbols of very inexpensive fashion.

“Although Shein claims that its products do not use forced Uyghur labor and that they work with third parties to audit their facilities, experts say these types of audits are easily manipulated or tampered with under pressure from authorities. “Write the parliamentarians, Democrats and Republicans, in a letter sent Monday to the agency supervising the stock markets (SEC).

Many textile names pinned

The Chinese authorities are accused by Western countries of having massively locked up members of the Uyghur Muslim minority in re-education camps, after bloody attacks in the Xinjiang region.

And big names in textiles are regularly criticized for profiting from the exploitation of Uyghurs in cotton fields, workshops and factories in this region.

Also if the rumors of a possible arrival of Shein on the New York Stock Exchange by the end of the year are confirmed, and considering the “credible allegations of the use of underpaid and forced labor”, the SEC must demand that an independent firm verify that the group does not use forced Uyghur labor, ask the 24 parliamentarians who signed the letter.

Being listed on Wall Street “is a privilege” and “foreign companies wishing to do so must demonstrate their commitment to human rights around the world”, they add.

In a message sent to AFP, Shein writes that he has “no suppliers in the Xinjiang region” but in other regions such as Brazil, southern China and Turkey.

“We take the visibility of our entire supply chain seriously and we are committed to respecting human rights and adhering to local laws in each market where we operate”, underlines the group, specifying that its suppliers must also “adhere to a strict code of conduct”. “We have zero tolerance for forced labor,” Shein also writes. The group also has “no plans for an IPO”.