Is Shein profiting from Uyghur forced labour?
Shein is choosing profits over human rights and may be selling products made with forced labour.
CALL OUT SHEIN NOW!
Tell SHEIN to stop profiting
from Uyghur forced labour!
Sign this petition
by Freedom United
And this petition by No Business with Genocide
Download the report card
Share on Instagram & Twitter (X)
Shein has FAILED to make a commitment to end Uyghur forced labour despite evidence showing it's at a high risk of being linked to forced labour.
In 2022, Bloomberg found evidence that Shein was selling clothes made with cotton from the Uyghur Region. Isotope testing of two batches of clothing from Shein’s US website revealed its cotton was grown in the Uyghur Region. This cotton has a HIGH risk of being linked to Uyghur forced labour - AND has been banned in the U.S. since January 2021.
In 2023, Shein admitted to CNBC it has used cotton from the Uyghur Region and at least TWO percent of its clothing was sourced from “banned regions” like the Uyghur Region. ANY percent is too much! Shein STILL fails our report card.
Tell Shein it’s PAST TIME for it
to end #forcedlabourfashion.
Tag Shein on social media & demand it STOP profiting from Uyghur forced labour.
Shein scored ZERO in company traceability, wages and wellbeing, & commercial practices in Remake’s Fashion Accountability Report last year.
Shein also scored VERY LOW in Fashion Revolution’s Transparency Index in 2022.
ABOUT SHEIN
Shein is a hugely successful fast fashion company & they are growing. Shein made $30 billion in 2022 and is expanding operations in the U.S., Canada, and worldwide. A company's success should not be built off the exploitation of people in its supply chain!
Shein has a history of creating terrible working conditions in its supply chain. According to the Public Eye, employees work extremely long working hours nearly every day each month and are paid per item without a basic wage or overtime pay.
In 2022, Bloomberg linked Shein’s clothing to the Uyghur Region, and despite that, Shein has made zero commitments to addressing risks of Uyghur forced labour.
U.S. Congress members wrote to Shein asking about its supply chain links to the Uyghur forced labour - and called out Shein for exploiting a loophole to sell forced labour goods under the de minimis threshold. Shein has avoided tariffs, reporting, and scrutiny by customs inspection by shipping individual customers products under $800.
In 2023, Shein filed its initial public offering (IPO) to go public in the US but policymakers are again pushing for Shein to prove it doesn’t use Uyghur forced labour first.
Hold Shein accountable. Whether it’s high fashion or fast fashion, ALL brands must fully exit the Uyghur Region. Tell Shein to end Uyghur forced labour today!
What is Shein saying?
Shein has repeatedly stated it has “ZERO TOLERANCE” for forced labour and takes reports of forced labour seriously.
In response to Bloomberg’s investigations, Shein didn’t confirm or deny whether it used cotton from the Uyghur Region. Instead, Shein stated it is taking steps to comply with local laws and regulations, including conducting regular audits of its supply chain. After its paid influencers trip to China, Shein stated again it’s “do[ing] everything to prevent forced labour.”
But despite these claims, Shein has been silent on what it is actually doing to prevent Uyghur forced labour. Having a zero tolerance policy for forced labour is not good enough. The forced labour in the Uyghur Region is state-imposed, which means companies cannot prevent or mitigate forced labour there. The only responsible thing companies can do is FULLY exit the Region.
Anything from the Uyghur Region is highly likely to be made with forced labour. Shein is still at HIGH RISK of selling forced labour fashion today. Shein must cut all ties with the Uyghur Region to avoid profiting from forced labour.
Shein recently reported it stopped buying cotton from China BUT big commitments are meaningless without the details to back it up. Shein has FAILED to make a real commitment to end state-imposed forced labour in the Uyghur Region.
Our pressure is working! Let’s keep up the pressure and demand Shein END forced labour fashion in its entire supply chain!
Photos by Forced Labour Fashion, Freedom United, Fashion Revolution, and Remake.