September 10, 2020, written by Stamatis Kouroudis

H&M Says It’s Not Working With Any Garment Factories in Xinjiang

Swedish retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB says it’s not working with any garment factories in the Xinjiang region of China.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration said it was banning imports from three companies in Xinjiang over Beijing’s alleged repression of Uighur Muslims. It also plans to add curbs on six more firms and target cotton from the area.

H&M has confirmed it currently isn’t sourcing any products from the region, and says it has taken measures to ensure suppliers in China aren’t employing Xinjiang workers through transfer programs, where forced labor is a risk, spokeswoman Ulrika Isaksson said in emailed comments.

Isaksson says the Swedish company had previously bought cotton from farms in Xinjiang that were connected to a sustainability program called Better Cotton Initiative. But that program has now decided to suspend the licensing of cotton in the region, she said.

Additionally, H&M is reviewing its “indirect business relationship” with a unit belonging to textile manufacturer Huafu Fashion Co. However, H&M hasn’t conducted any business with the Chinese company’s operations in Xinjiang, Isaksson said.

Source: Bloomberg

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