Shein, the world’s largest online fashion retailer, is under investigation by US lawmakers over allegations it used cotton from China’s disputed region of Xinjiang.
Known for selling extremely cheap clothes, the company is a pioneer in what is known as ultra-fast fashion – producing and selling clothes at a very high pace.
Xinjiang is notorious for its internment camps and human rights abuses against the Uighur minority.
It all started with that Bloomberg provided Shein Clothing with lab tests showing that the company’s clothing is made of cotton from there.
Conflict: The photo shows the treatment of Uyghurs in China. Photo: Peter Parks
Read more: I experienced the horror camps from the inside: – Hell
If the production can be traced to Xinjiang, it could stop Shein shipments at US ports, as the US has issued a ban on imports from the region in 2021.
accused of cheating
in Report of the Economic and Security Commission between the United States and China At the same time, Shein is accused of violating copyrights, as well as cheating on customs and duties, and that the products are harmful to health and the environment.
US lawmakers are now looking into new tax measures that could affect shipments and possibly block Shein’s planned listing on the US stock market, the paper writes. Politicocovering American politics.
Not sustainable at all!
– It’s not sustainable at all! What we do know about these regions is that there are very deplorable, slavery-like conditions, says Framtiden In Our Hands lead Anja Bakken Riise about accusing Shein Productions of having links to the disputed region.
The future is in our hands Shein thinks the rope has been stretched too much and for too long. Not only politicians in the United States and other countries are reacting, Bakken Reese says, but consumers and human rights organizations as well.
Leader: Anja Bakken Reese, the future leader of Yadina, is adamantly opposed to Shien. Photo: Marte Christensen/TV 2
hired lobbies
After being silent for years, e-commerce giant Shein is now on the offensive.
Recently, the firm hired Washington lobbyists for the first time.
At the same time, they are promoting their new status as a Singapore-based company, having moved their headquarters from Nanjing, China.
However, they continue to produce many garments in China, he writes Reuters.
– There are no producers in Xinjiang
Shein has zero tolerance for forced labour, and has implemented a robust system to follow through on it, Marion Bouchot, PR manager for Shein France, tells TV2:
– We don’t have producers in Xinjiang. We take vision across the entire production chain very seriously, and are committed to respecting human rights and adapting to local legislation in the markets in which we operate. Furthermore, we keep ourselves closely informed of developments in laws and regulations.
– Our suppliers must adapt to a strict line in accordance with the basic conventions of the International Labor Organization, continues the spokesperson.
Distance: Shein claims that 98 percent of the cotton in its clothing comes from certified sources, and that it has stopped production of the remaining affected products. Photo: Christophe Archambault
Shein points to alleged recent submission of evidence, which they claim exonerates the company.
They hired Oritain, from New Zealand, to sample the clothes. According to Shen, the results should show that 98 percent of the cotton does not come from Xinjiang, or other regions from which the US bans imports.
– removed for sale
2.1 percent were reported to have come from the northwest region of China, or from other unapproved locations.
In all of these cases, production of the affected products has been discontinued, and all products containing cotton associated with positive tests have been written off, a Politico spokesperson said.
Shein’s spokesperson Pochot responds on TV 2:
– Shein has implemented a robust cotton tracking system. It includes strict requirements for certificates of origin for cotton, clear visibility of the origin of cotton throughout the production chain, as well as independent testing and verification of origin by Oritain.
Bouchout claims that the cotton samples tested were collected by independent agencies.
Furthermore, Shein claims that only a small portion of the products (four percent) sold in the United States are made of cotton, not synthetic materials—which Shein claims do not come from Xinjiang.
According to Politico, there are currently no methods that are scientifically good enough to determine the origin of synthetic materials.
TOK GREP: The vast majority of Shein’s clothing in the US will be made of synthetic materials. Photo: Christophe Archambault
Not impressive
The future leader in our hands is not impressed with Shin’s handling:
– The fact that Shein is now taking steps to rectify its battered reputation is only a result of outside pressure and US legislation preventing imports of goods coming from Xinjiang, says Bakken Reese.
The future is in our hands The test report purportedly shows SHEIN did not settle.
– In general, it is hard to believe that the tests are so separate from the influence of the company, and the number of test items seems so low, Bakken Riise comments.
Not impressed: Anja Bakken Riise is a leading company in Framtiden i våre hände Photo: Jonas Been Henriksen/TV 2
Lots of plastic clothes
It also takes issue with the company’s argument that only about four percent of products sold in the United States are made of cotton.
– It means Shein’s plastic clothes flood the US market and other places.
To this, Shein spokesperson Bouchout responded that Shein is committed to continually improving its operations to reduce waste and enable a circular future.
– In 2022, Shein Company signed an agreement during the International Textile Day. We then joined a coalition of brands, suppliers and other organizations that share our mission to change the fashion and textile industry towards fully circular by 2050, says Bouchot.
Furthermore, the spokesperson comments that the company is working on more responsible production processes, better practices for sustainable materials and production, and accelerating the uptake of recycled materials in its products and packaging.
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