1. According to the State Department, cotton from the Chinese territory of Xinjiang is being harvested with forced manual labor
Is that cotton in the products you buy?
We decided to ask major clothing brands to find out.
Follow along if interested.
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
Is that cotton in the products you buy?
We decided to ask major clothing brands to find out.
Follow along if interested.
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
2. Popular Information contacted 17 consumer clothing brands and asked them to clarify whether their products contained cotton produced in Xinjiang.
Only one provided a response
There is a reason why companies don't want to answer this basic question
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
Only one provided a response
There is a reason why companies don't want to answer this basic question
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
3. Most major clothing brands are members of the Better Cotton Initiative. Up until last year the BCI was "certifying" cotton from Xinjiang.
In October 2020 that stopped, citing "sustained allegations of forced labour and other human rights abuses"
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
In October 2020 that stopped, citing "sustained allegations of forced labour and other human rights abuses"
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
4. Around the same time, individual clothing companies, like @hm, began to express "concern" about practices in Xinjiang
This year, the Chinese government struck back
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
This year, the Chinese government struck back
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
5. @hm was targeted by the ruling party on Chinese social media, store locations removed ride-sharing apps, products pulled from online retailers.
In response H&M REMOVED THEIR STATEMENT OF CONCERN ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN XINJIANG
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
In response H&M REMOVED THEIR STATEMENT OF CONCERN ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN XINJIANG
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
6. So this helps explain why the companies we contacted didn't want to provide a clear answer about whether their products contain cotton from Xinjiang
They don't want to be targeted by the Chinese government
They want access to Chinese consumers
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
They don't want to be targeted by the Chinese government
They want access to Chinese consumers
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
7. But the State Department describes what is happening to Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang as "genocide."
Are companies really trading our ability to speak clearly about moral issues for access to Chinese consumers?
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
Are companies really trading our ability to speak clearly about moral issues for access to Chinese consumers?
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
8. Here are some of the companies we didn't hear from about Xinjiang cotton:
@Nike
@adidas
@GAP
@Burberry
@lululemon
@UniqloUSA
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
@Nike
@adidas
@GAP
@Burberry
@lululemon
@UniqloUSA
popular.info/p/is-your-t-sh…
9. In some cases these companies have released statements, but there is still ambiguity.
None have agreed to the demands of the End Uyghur Forced Labor Coalition to exit the region.
Sign up for the newsletter for updates and accountability journalism.
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None have agreed to the demands of the End Uyghur Forced Labor Coalition to exit the region.
Sign up for the newsletter for updates and accountability journalism.
popular.info/subscribe
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