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After months of mounting restrictions, the US has issued an outright ban on imports containing cotton or tomato products from China’s Xinjiang region, where researchers say at least 1 million members of the Uyghur ethnic minority are in forced labor camps. The ban went into effect January 13.
Wide ramifications: In 2019, Xinjiang produced 85% of China’s cotton—and the country accounts for ~20% of the world’s supply. Labor rights group Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) estimates US brands drive $20+ billion in annual sales from garments containing Xinjiang-produced cotton.
- WRC executive director Scott Nova said the ban “will redefine how the apparel industry—from Amazon to Nike to Zara—sources its materials and labor.”
Retailers and trade groups like the American Apparel & Footwear Association have supported the spirit of the ban, but they’ve also cautioned that implementation will be difficult due to low supply chain visibility. Because cotton changes hands so often, the AAFA argues that a global coalition is necessary to prevent Xinjiang cotton from unlawfully infiltrating products.
Looking ahead...those concerns might not fall on sympathetic ears. With the ban, US officials set stricter expectations for brands to figure out the origins of their products.