H&M dumps Chinese supplier following allegations of forced Uyghur labor

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H&M has cut ties with Chinese cotton suppliers following allegations of forced Uyghur labor.

Swedish powerhouse fashion brand H&M has ended its “indirect” relationship with Chinese cotton supplier Huafu Fashion Co., LTD.

H&M’s decision was prompted by a recent report from human rights advocates alleging that Huafu is using forced Uyghur labor from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China.

The report was delivered to U.K. customs authorities in 2019, containing a plethora of “overwhelming and credible evidence” indicating the existence of a “forced labor regime in Xinjiang.”

H&M denied any involvement with forced labor scheme

In a statement, H&M said it was “deeply concerned by reports from civil society organizations and media that include accusations of forced labor and discrimination of ethno religious minorities” from the XUAR region.

H&M has denied any direct association with the forced labor scheme, saying they do “not work with any garment manufacturing factories located in XUAR” nor do they “source products from the region”.

The company challenged a report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) claiming H&M had a direct relationship with a Huafu cotton mill located in Anhui province which reportedly uses labor from XUAR.